The Prison Within
by rozensa
Summary: This story takes place following Season 4, Episode 05, Love and Hate. It focuses on Bea Smith and Allie Novak and takes on a whole new plot. I'm not the best at summaries, but I hope you all enjoy the story. Thank you all for taking the time to read and comment, I greatly appreciate any feedback!
1. Chapter 1: Mad World

Bea practically dragged her feet as she made her way down the long corridor back to her cellblock, amidst the "hellos" and "good to see yous" and the stares and glares from her fellow inmates. She refused to make eye contact with any of them, choosing to only look straight ahead. When she turned the final corner into the hallway with her cellblock, she met the eyes of Will and stopped in her tracks. Her mouth opened to speak, but she could not think of anything to say, nor did she want to. Will looked at her with a resigned look, before turning his attention to the floor, walking past her and out of sight.

It was better that way. Any interaction between them and the women would surely come at her again for caring more about a screw than another inmate. Bea took the final steps to her cellblock. As she entered the block, Maxine was emerging from her unit. They both stopped walking and Maxine gave her a sympathetic smile.

"How are you, love?" Maxine asked as she approached Bea and hugged her. Bea held on for a second, then pulled away, simply nodding and deeply sighing, a response that was more than enough for Maxine to understand to ask nothing more.

"Come, sit. I'll make you a cuppa," offered Maxine.

"No, I'm…that's fine," she replied. "How are the girls?"

"All right, they've just left for breakfast. We should get you something to eat."

"No, no, you go. I'm not feeling hungry right now."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Maxine."

"…If you need to talk…"

"Thanks, Maxine."

Maxine expressed concern, but could only nod as she left the cellblock.

"I'll let everyone know the queen has retaken her throne," Maxine softly smiled before walking out of sight.

Bea sat down and placed her hands on the table and stared at them. Throne. A throne behind bars where she would be forced to sit for the rest of her life. Her time in the slot was over, but she never felt more like a prisoner than by coming back to her cellblock. She pushed herself back in her chair and walked into her unit, closing the door behind her. Bea plopped down on her bed with her hands behind her head and leaned back against the wall. She should go to breakfast. She should show everyone that she was back. She should show that she was still in charge. She should discuss whatever happened while she was out. But none of that seemed to matter anymore.

Exhausted and restless at the same time, she was unable to focus on anything but her time in the slot. Bea was anxious. She felt as though this was her first day in prison all over again. Swinging her legs over the bed onto the floor, she reached underneath her mattress and pulled out the broken scissors she had never used to harm anyone but herself. Bea analyzed the weapon before reaching back under the mattress to put back the scissors and pull out her sketchpad. Sitting with her back against the wall, Bea opened the sketchpad, flipping through the pages of other inmates, of allies, of enemies. Turning to one of the last blank pages in the pad, she began to draw.

Time flew by and it wasn't until she completed her drawing that Bea realized the image she could not erase from her mind. Allie. She lightly blew on the sketch of Allie's face and brushed away any pencil and eraser traces. As she brushed over the image, her thumb lingered over Allie's cheek. Bea inhaled and exhaled deeply, completely transfixed by the image.

Allie smiled at Maxine as she walked into the crowded mess hall. Maxine smiled back as she took her place in the breakfast line. Looking back through the doors, Allie became disappointed to see Bea was not trailing behind Maxine. Word spread like fire that the top dog was back and Allie longed to see Bea again.

"Waiting for someone, Allie?" asked Ferguson, in a tone that made it seem as though she already knew the answer.

"Yeah, my vibrator's being delivered today," Allie shot back at Ferguson.

The other women at the table laughed, while Kaz scorned Allie. Ferguson stared Allie down until she diverted her attention back to her food and began to speak again.

"Word is Smith's finally out of the slot…" began Ferguson. "Should make for an interesting contention for power…"

"What are you talking about?" asked Allie.

"While Bea was in the slot, Maxine took over," answered Kaz. "The women here seemed to embrace her not punishing the new girl for pressing the distress signal."

"So…What? You think Maxine would actually fight Bea for control?" laughed Allie while looking from Kaz to Ferguson.

"No…but I don't think it'll be up to them," stated Kaz, taking a drink of water.

"The loyalty that certain…people in this prison display for Smith is nothing short of that of a famished and dehydrated pack of diseased dogs, longing for the attention and affection of their master…So when the master refuses to answer their cries, can you blame the dogs for turning on her?" smiled Ferguson as she stared Allie down.

Allie looked at Kaz, certain that she would object to Ferguson comparing the inmates to a pack of dogs. Kaz simply raised her eyebrows, pursed her lips, and nodded. Allie snorted, unable to believe that Kaz had nothing to say to Ferguson.

As the women began to leave the mess hall for work duty, Allie grabbed Kaz's tray and placed it on top of hers as Kaz walked out. The other women at the table grabbed their own trays and went to clear them. As Allie was about to stand up with the trays, another tray was placed on top by Ferguson.

"You fucking kidding me? Clear your own…" Allie grabbed Ferguson's tray to give back to her.

"Difficult having to bark for two masters, isn't it?" asked Ferguson as she stood up from the table. Allie looked up at her and shrugged.

"What are you…" asked Allie.

"Please, spare me the confused puppy dog look. I've crushed bugs bigger than you. All I ask is you consider what you're doing to Kaz and be…cautious of Bea Smith. You don't know what Smith is capable of. For a person who slashes her wrists to escape prison, she's not above throwing you a bone if it means hurting Kaz."

And with that unsettling statement that had some kind of truth to it, Ferguson walked out of the mess hall. Allie watched her leave, and while she knew that Ferguson was just trying to get under her skin, Allie couldn't help but feel stirred up. Out of the corner of her eye, Allie saw Maxine nearly finish getting her food in line. Allie grabbed the three trays and quickly walked over to meet her at the end of the line to stop her at the trashcans.

"Hey," Allie said, emptying the first tray.

"Hey yourself," smiled back Maxine.

"Heard Bea's out," stated Allie, doing her best to feign nonchalance as she emptied the second tray.

Maxine pursed her lips and nodded. "Yeah, yeah she is."

"Right-o…Any idea why she isn't here? I mean…" Allie stumbled to find a reason to ask this.

"You could probably ask her, hun. She's back in the block, and we've still got time left before work duty," said Maxine as she walked off smiling.

Allie softly smiled and was going to head out of the mess hall, leaving the third tray behind, when Jake grabbed her arm and stopped her.

"Ah, ah, ah, Novak, you forgot a tray," grinned Jake.

Allie pulled away, a little taken aback by the officer's action. She nodded and went back to clear the tray. The next time she walked by Jake he stopped her again.

"So, I'm guessing I won't be getting an apology from you then?"

"What?" asked Allie, furrowing her eyebrows.

Jake lifted his bandaged arm and pointed towards it. It took a bit for Allie to recall she had bitten him during the ramp.

"Well I would apologize if you hadn't been so aggressive."

"Ah, so you don't like it rough. Got it," he whispered and smiled.

Allie looked around to see if anyone had heard the officer. Upon realizing no one was even looking at them, she left the mess hall and headed for H block.

Allie entered H1, full of relief to see that no one was there. However that relief faded when she walked up to Bea's open unit to find it empty. Allie had never been inside the room before, and her curiosity made her walk inside. It was no different from any of the other units, maybe a bit emptier than the rest. Allie sat down on Bea's bed and looked at her tackboard on the wall. On her tackboard were only two pictures, one of Debbie and one of Debbie and Bea. The only other item was a brochure for a cemetery. Allie looked down and ran her hand over Bea's bed. She grabbed Bea's pillow and brought it to her face.

When Allie lifted the pillow, Bea's sketchpad fell forward. The drawing it was open to was Bea's sketch of Allie. Allie picked up the sketchpad and looked at the drawing of herself. Allie inhaled and exhaled deeply as she analyzed the image. Her eyes began to water and two tears fell onto the page.

"Fuck," she said as she wiped her eyes with her sleeve to look at the now water stained image.

Allie blew lightly on the page, hoping to maybe dry the visible stain, but the tears had seeped through the page and onto the one after it. She placed the sketchbook back where it had been and covered it back up with the pillow before exiting the room.

"And all he said was he's sorry he couldn't make it out here for me… Bea, I think… I think Nash is drifting and… it terrifies me," cried Doreen.

Bea kept lifting the barbells, listening to what Doreen was complaining about but nowhere near hearing her out. Bea thought she could get some alone time in the outside gym in the exercise yard, but apparently the slot was the only place where she could find peace. Bea placed the barbells back on the rack and sighed.

"Doreen, if a man shacking up with another woman on the outside is what you're terrified of in a prison, then let me tell you, you're doing better than every other fucking woman in here."

Doreen glared at Bea. Her sad eyes turned into angry ones as she stood up from the weight bench to stare down Bea.

"You know, you've been acting like a real twat lately. I don't know what your problem is, but if you don't start…" Doreen stopped herself.

"Start what? Start what, Dor? Huh?" Bea closed the space between them and stared her down, causing Doreen to back up.

"Forget it… You're hopeless. There are other people here who want to help me."

Doreen turned her back on Bea and exited the gym. Bea swallowed hard, a little hurt by Doreen's words. When she looked around the gym, the other women were staring at her.

"The fuck are you all looking at?" she asked everyone, who cowered and went back to their exercises.

Bea went to sit down on the weight bench and gripped the bar. She began lifting and lowering it, completely shutting herself off from everyone else.

"Can I spot ya, Bea?" asked Juice, standing over her and licking her lips.

"Piss off, Juice," snapped Bea as she kept lifting the bar.

"Aw, love, no need for that, just tryna be helpful…Not that you would know much about that."

Bea lowered the bar back onto the stand and sat up to face Juice. Looking around she realized the gym had emptied except for Juice and her gang of boys.

"What was that?" Bea asked, standing up and refusing to be intimidated by the Hep-C crew.

"Still waiting for you to teach the new girl a lesson," answered Stella.

"She pushed the button, Bea!" exclaimed Juice.

"Not this shit again…Give it a fucking rest, Juice."

Bea pushed past Juice to get to the weights rack, preferring to be standing than to be laying down at the time. Juice and her crew followed her.

"You have to…" started Juice again.

"I don't have to do jack shit, do you understand me?" shot back Bea as she turned to face Juice. "You do anything to her, you'll have me to deal with, got that?"

"That's fucking bullshit!" yelled Juice.

"Yeah it is, now fuck off."

Bea turned back to look through the barbells. She felt Juice come closer to her.

"Well if I couldn't get Goodman and no one is going to make her pay then I guess I'm just going to have to settle for a little fun with Novak."

Bea was about to grab the barbells but paused, trying to figure out what to say to diffuse the situation.

"Yeah, I heard you in the slot, I'm not fucking stupid. So you decide. Either you punish Goodman or I'll punish Novak."

Juice and her gang began to walk away, content with having unsettled the top dog enough to finally take action. When Juice passed behind Bea, Bea grabbed a 20-lb barbell and swung around.

"Hey, Juice…"

Juice stopped and Bea struck the left side of her face with the barbell. Juice fell to the ground instantly, making incomprehensible noises, her eyes opening and closing. Bea squatted down next to her.

"If you so much as blink in her direction, I will tear your eyes out and feed them to your boys here, do you understand me?" Bea threatened in a low voice.

Juice was bleeding profusely but was still semi-conscious. Bea stood up and stared down the rest of the crew, dropping the bloody barbell on Juice's stomach, an act that made Juice groan in pain and roll on her side.

"Do you fucking understand me?" Bea shouted.

The crew stared in fear, quickly nodding and moving aside as Bea walked by them. There were people on the other side of the fence in the yard looking on. When she was about to exit the gym, she was shocked to see Jake leaning against the wall in front of her with his arms crossed, obviously having seen the whole thing. Bea stopped in her tracks, certain that she would be slotted once again. Jake walked up to her.

"So _that's_ the Bea Smith I've heard so much about," Jake grinned. "I was beginning to think it was all just a myth."

Jake walked past Bea to enter the gym. She looked around the yard to see one officer on the far side of the yard and Miles near the entrance to the cellblocks. Jake clearly saw everything, but when he grabbed his radio to report, he called for medical to assist with an accident involving improper use of gym equipment. Still shocked by his action, Bea hurried across the yard in direction of her cellblock, avoiding looking at anyone she passed by. When she approached Miles, all the officer did was open the gate for Bea.

"Been dying to do that myself, Smith," whispered Miles as Bea went through the gate back to her unit.

"Allie!"

The ball struck Allie in the face. Allie fell to the ground, holding her face.

"Shit, are you okay?" asked Kaz kneeling next to her and helping her sit up.

"Yep, yep, all good," Allie lied.

"Fuck you're bleeding."

Allie brushed the back of her hand under her nose to see the blood.

"Brilliant," she uttered as she stood up.

"Why are you so distracted?" asked Kaz.

"I…I'm going to go get cleaned up."

"I'll come with you."

"No it's fine. Finish the game, I'll be right back."

As Allie headed for the cellblocks, she took one last look at Bea working out in the gym. It was the most she had seen of her since their moment in the slot. Getting smacked in the face with a basketball was worth getting to stare at Bea even if it was from a distance.

Allie headed through the halls towards the bathrooms, trying to keep her head back a bit to slow the flow of the blood. She walked into the bathroom and stood over the sink and washed her face. Shutting off the water, she grabbed a paper towel and jumped up to sit on the edge of the sink, tilting her head back and waiting for the blood to stop.

Bea entered the bathroom and immediately headed for a shower stall. She threw her towel over the stall wall and grabbed her soap and shampoo from her bag before stepping into the stall and turning on the water.

Allie heard the bathroom door open, and slightly lowered her head to see Bea rush in towards a shower stall without noticing her, ripping off her towel and throwing it over the stall wall in the process. She stood naked as she rifled through her toiletries bag to pull out her shampoo and soap before stepping into the stall and turning on the water, not even bothering to pull the shower curtain closed.

Allie lowered her head to gaze at Bea, who seemed agitated as she began washing her body. The blood flowed out of Allie's nose, but the woman was too transfixed by Bea to notice it. Allie couldn't speak, just stare and hope that she could relish this opportunity to gaze at Bea's perfect and delicate figure for as long as possible. As Bea turned in the stall to let the water fall down her back, she met Allie's twinkling eyes.

"Need any help?" Allie asked, swallowing hard.

Bea became shocked to see the blood on Allie's face. Without a second thought, Bea stepped out of the shower stall and walked over to stand in front of Allie. She placed her hand on her cheek as she examined Allie's injury. With her other hand, Bea ran her fingers just above Allie's lip, wiping away some of the blood. She looked at her bloody hand then back into Allie's glistening eyes.

"Who did this to you?" asked Bea gritting her teeth.

"I'm not sure I…"

"Was it Juice? Was it Kaz?"

"Uhmm, no it wasn't Juice, might have been Kaz…Wait what does Juice have to do with anything?"

Bea dropped her hand and rushed back into her stall to grab her towel. Allie hopped off the sink and stepped into the stall to grab the towel and hold it away from Bea.

"Bea, calm down, Bea, it was just an accident, okay? Just playing ball and someone threw the ball at me and my face caught it. Okay? That was it."

Bea's eyes shifted as she tried to believe that Allie had not been hurt because of her. She breathed a sigh of relief and quickly nodded. She forced a smile before rubbing her face with her hands. Allie took Bea's hands in her own and held them tightly as the water poured over the two of them.

"Hey, hey, look at me. Are you okay? What's going on?" Allie whispered.

"I'm so sorry…" Bea began tearing up. "They… they want to hurt you… because of me…"

Allie slowly nodded, signaling a silent understanding. They could have been anyone at this point. Juice. Ferguson. Even Kaz could probably try to hurt them if she found out about the bond between Allie and Bea. Allie reached behind Bea to shut off the water and wiped the tears from Bea's eyes and brought her in closer, wrapping the towel around her and then wrapping her arms around her as tightly as she could. She planted a small kiss on Bea's forehead and hugged her with all her might. Taken a little aback by the closeness of Allie, Bea began to tremble but ultimately gave in to Allie's warmth, a tenderness she hadn't experienced in her lifetime. Bea wrapped her arms around Allie as she began crying into her shoulder, letting her nerves fade away.

"It's okay…" whispered Allie.

"Allie, if something happens to you…"

"Shh, shhh, nothing's going to happen to me."

They remained in an embrace for a long time.


	2. Chapter 2: Leave The Light On

Later that night in H1, Bea sat with her arms crossed on the sofa, just staring off into space. Maxine, Boomer, Doreen, and Liz sat at the table, talking and laughing. All Bea could think about was Allie. Was she back in her unit? Was she asleep? Was she safe? Bea took a deep sigh then pushed herself up to head into her room. She closed the door behind her, took out her sketchpad, and laid back in her bed. She turned the page to the drawing of Allie and stared at it, longing to have the real person in her room right now. She became puzzled when she noticed the water stain on the image. She ran her finger over it. Her eyes darted to her door when she heard Officer Miles announce the count and Bea left the room again.

"All right, good night, ladies," said Miles as she turned to leave the cellblock.

Bea caught up with Miles as she closed the gate.

"What is it, Smith?" asked Miles.

"I need to get to H3 later tonight."

"What for?"

Bea glared at Miles, visibly displeased at having her reasons questioned.

"Fine, sorry. I'll come get you later. Just clean up after yourself after bashing the Freak or Proctor, okay?"

Bea headed back into her unit, waiting for everyone to fall asleep.

Back in her own unit, Allie laid back on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She was restless and unable to fall asleep. Thoughts of Bea touching her face and showing so much concern for her earlier in the bathroom occupied her mind. Then time and time again, the image of Bea's naked body came into her mind. Allie remembered what it was like to have Bea's wet body pressed up against hers in the shower, and how all she wanted to do was have her then and there, Bea's breasts pressed into her back, Bea's breath in her ear as she threatened her for staring. Allie inhaled deeply as she pictured Bea and brought her hand up to her neck and massaged her breasts through her thin shirt.

Miles quietly opened the gate to H3 and moved aside to allow Bea to step into enemy territory.

"I'm going on break. You got ten minutes," Miles muttered.

Bea nodded and watched as Miles closed the cell door behind her and walked off. Bea looked around H3 and quietly stepped to the last unit on the left to peek in. Ferguson was lying on her side in bed, with her back to the door. Bea moved onto the next unit to see Kaz lying on her stomach, her back rising and falling as she breathed. Bea walked to Allie's unit and grabbed the handle, slowly and quietly turning it, barely cracking open the door just enough for her to slip into Allie's room. Bea held onto the handle and quietly closed the door before turning to look at Allie. The room was dark but the glow from the outside security lights came through the window enough for Bea to make out the figure on the bed.

Allie slightly opened her eyes to see who had snuck into her room, but her hand continued stimulating her when she caught sight of Bea's red hair. When Bea turned around, she simply stood there, watching Allie. The thought of Bea watching her made Allie work her fingers inside of her even harder. Allie closed her eyes again, concerned that should they make eye contact Bea would run off. Allie's breathing became heavier with every thrust inside of her.

Bea stood there completely entranced. She wanted to give the girl her privacy but the sight of Allie pleasuring herself mesmerized her. Bea watched as Allie massaged her breasts underneath her shirt with her left hand while vigorously working her right hand in between her legs. For the first time in her life, Bea felt desire. She wanted to touch Allie, to feel her warmth, to feel her skin against hers, to feel her breath on her, to feel her lips…

As Allie's breathing and moaning quickened, Bea realized what she was doing and how intrusive she was being at the moment. She forced herself to look away and reached for the door handle and began to quietly turn it.

"Please don't leave me…" whispered Allie in between sighs and moans.

Bea's eyes shot up to meet Allie's. Even in the dark of the room, they still twinkled. There was hunger in her eyes. There was lust in her eyes. Bea let go of the door handle and walked over, kneeling beside the bed without breaking eye contact. Allie's eyes shifted from Bea's eyes to her lips then back to her eyes. Her eyes spoke what she could not say. She looked so innocent, so fragile, so beautiful.

Bea placed her right hand on Allie's cheek and leaned in, bringing her lips to Allie's. Bea lowered her hand to Allie's neck and could feel her pulse racing. Their kiss was soft, gentle, then as Allie's breathing became heavier and the movement in between her legs became more forceful, their kiss became more impassioned. Allie suddenly stopped kissing Bea, as an orgasm overtook her and shook her entire body, while Bea held onto her and kept her mouth over Allie's as Allie moaned into Bea's mouth while looking straight into her eyes. Her head fell back onto the pillow.

"Thank you…" whispered Allie, swallowing hard as her breathing stabilized.

"I gotta go…I just wanted to make sure you were okay," whispered Bea, as she caressed Allie's cheek.

"I've never been better," smiled Allie.

Allie placed her hand on Bea's neck and brought her down to meet her lips.

"I really have to go…" whispered Bea in between breaths.

"Okay, sure…" replied Allie as her tongue continued exploring Bea's mouth.

Bea's pulse began to quicken. As much as she would have loved to stay with Allie for the rest of the night, Miles would be back soon. She forced herself to break away from Allie's tender lips and stood up. Allie sat up in her bed.

"I'll see you in the morning, okay? Sweet dreams, Allie."

"My dreams are nowhere near as great as my reality," Allie replied, her eyes twinkling as she looked up at Bea.

Bea smiled and gave her one last kiss before leaving the room and heading out of H3. Ferguson watched her leave through her door's window before going back to bed.

…


	3. Chapter 3: Daydreaming

Allie woke up the next morning in a daze. She sat up in her bed, the biggest and brightest smile appearing on her face as she remembered what had happened that night hadn't been a dream. She took a deep breath and stood up, walking over to the sink and washing her face and brushing her teeth. She then walked to the shelves and grabbed her toiletries bag and towel and headed for the showers.

…

"You're giddy this morning," remarked Maxine as she served herself toast.

Bea looked back at her, unable to stop smiling.

"Good dream is all," Bea replied as she carried her tray to their table.

It had felt like a dream to her. Never before had Bea wanted to touch or kiss someone, but now, in prison of all places, Bea had finally found someone she wanted to feel, to touch, to be with, and she longed to be alone with Allie again.

For now, Bea had to settle for stealing quick glances of the blonde sitting mere feet away from her. Now and again, their eyes would meet, expressing the desire they were unable to voice.

"Beatrice?"

Bea woke up from her daydream. Sonia was standing in front of her looking down at her.

"What did you call me?"

"That's your name, is it not?" asked Sonia. "I refuse to believe your parents would name you after a letter."

"…What do you want, Sonia?"

"I wanted to ask you a question," began Sonia as she sat down next to Bea on the bench in the yard.

"Go on then."

"When you… When you killed those people… Did you ever possibly consider how others would see you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, did you ever think that maybe upon killing those people, that others would see you no longer as you, but simply as your acts? Would they be able to separate the murderer from the person you were before?"

Visibly confused, Bea was about to tell Sonia off, but then she began to think about Jacs and Brayden. She took a deep breath and leaned back against the wall, trying to find the right words to answer a question she had asked herself long ago.

"I…" Bea sighed. "I think most people here see me as just this murderer, and that's fine, but I never gave attention to the opinions these people have of me. I did what I had to do. I am a murderer. I am in here for life. I will die here. So I can't really care too much about what these people think of me. The people who can look past that I think are the ones you should care about. And as long as I can breathe easy and be okay with what I've done and we can all live in a peaceful chaos, what else can I ask for as a lifer?"

Sonia analyzed Bea's expression, noticing there was no remorse, no regret in her words. Sonia nodded and stood up.

"Thank you, Beatrice. For what it's worth, I think these women are fortunate to have you looking out for them."

Bea softly smiled and nodded. Sonia walked towards Liz who was sitting at a table with Maxine and Boomer. Bea looked over at her crew, realizing that she truly cared for these women, but longing to see one woman in particular. Bea stood up from the bench and made her way to the kitchen.

…

Allie mopped the kitchen floor as thoughts of Bea flooded her mind. She couldn't help but smile as she remembered the kiss they had shared. It was more than she could have ever imagined. She came back to reality when she heard someone clear their throat behind her. Allie turned around to see Bea standing by the sink. Bea mouthed a greeting but no words came out of her as she gave Allie a small wave. Allie smiled as she set aside the mop and removed her apron, walking away from Bea towards the equipment room. Allie stepped through the door, holding it open for Bea to follow her inside. Bea leaned against the counter while Allie closed the door and leaned against it.

They looked into each other's eyes for a moment, saying more to each other with a simple look than they ever could say with their words. Allie closed the gap between them and caressed Bea's face as she pulled her in for a kiss. When their lips met, Bea felt chills race down her spine. Allie noticed Bea shiver and wrapped her arms around her, causing Bea to put her arms around Allie as they continued kissing. Allie maneuvered Bea and pushed her against the counter, giving her a small boost so Bea ended up barely sitting on the edge of it.

What had started out as a soft and tender kiss became more passionate as the women explored each other's mouths, pouring themselves into one another, barely stopping to breathe. Allie ran her hands down Bea's neck and her sides, until she made it to her thighs, pushing them apart and stepping into the space between Bea's legs. Allie reached around and placed her hands on Bea's lower back to pull her in. Bea gasped as she made contact with Allie's abdomen.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," laughed Allie as they stopped kissing.

"No, uh, you didn't…I just…"

Bea swallowed hard as she looked into Allie's eyes.

"I just… I don't know what to do."

Allie smiled softly, recalling how Bea had mentioned how sex was never a good experience for her. She just wanted to please Bea, make her understand what pleasure truly was, but she was worried about making her uncomfortable. Allie nodded and joined Bea on the counter, sliding back to the wall. Bea slid back as well.

"Bea, if you just want to talk, that's fine with me," smiled Allie.

"Are you sure? I don't want to…"

"It's fine. Really… I just want you to be okay."

Allie took Bea's hand in hers, intertwining their fingers as Bea softly exhaled.

"So… How's everything?" Allie asked as she ran her fingers over Bea's tattoo.

"Good…Better now…Being here made my day."

"Well, you made my night so it's the least I…"

Bea leaned in and began kissing Allie, their tongues dancing together as their breathing became heavier. The position they were in was getting uncomfortable, as they both hesitated to touch each other, one out of nervousness, the other out of respect. Unable to resist anymore, Allie reached over and grabbed Bea's left thigh, placing her other hand on her hip and maneuvering her so Bea ended up straddling Allie.

"Is this okay…" Allie asked in between breaths.

"Yeah…" Bea whispered.

Bea felt a strange sensation in between her legs. Her heart was pounding against her chest. Instinct took over, and she began to grind against Allie. Allie ran her hands up Bea's thighs and slid them underneath her shirt. Bea trembled as Allie's hands cupped her breasts through her bra. She reached around to unclasp it when a voice called out from outside the equipment room.

"Allie?"

The voice shocked Bea, who knocked over a stack of bowls as she nearly leapt off of Allie and tried to compose herself. Allie hopped off the counter to pick up the bowls.

"Allie, is that you?" Kaz's voice came closer.

Allie looked at Bea, both women flushed and out of breath.

"Uh, yeah, yeah, Kaz, I'll be right out!" Allie called out as she set the bowls down on the counter again.

Allie opened the door to the equipment room, which Bea stood behind. As Allie walked out, she squeezed Bea's hand and smiled. Despite her shock, Bea couldn't help but smile back at Allie as she walked out, closing the door behind her.

…


	4. Chapter 4: Tough Love

Bea stood by the door to her room as Boomer, Liz, and Doreen all said their goodbyes to Maxine, who hugged them all one by one as she prepared to leave for her operation, speaking to them as if she would never see them again. Even Sonia emerged from her room to give Maxine a kiss on the cheek and a farewell hug. Finally, Maxine turned to Bea, taking her hand in hers.

"Thank you for everything…" whispered Maxine.

Bea's eyes began to tear up. She let go of Maxine and hugged her.

"Thank you…"

"Look at me…" began Maxine, taking Bea's face in her hands. "Life is too short to worry about the ifs and maybes…"

"…What…"

"Darling, don't let Allie be an 'if'…You be sure to make her a 'when.'"

Bea opened her mouth but couldn't say anything. Tears began streaming down her face as she smiled, peaceful for having received her best friend's blessing. She hugged Maxine tightly, who finally gave in and began to cry as well.

"I love you, Bea."

"I love you too, Maxine…I'll see you soon okay?"

Maxine nodded, knowing well that might no longer be a possibility. As she let go of Maxine, she turned to see Kaz and Allie enter H1. Kaz glared at Bea before turning her attention to Maxine.

"Good luck, Maxi," said Kaz, handing her a box of cookies.

Maxine softly laughed and nodded, mouthing a thank you to Kaz, who immediately turned to leave the block. Allie came close and hugged Maxine.

"We'll see you soon, Maxine," whispered Allie, as she hugged Maxine and made eye contact with Bea.

Maxine hugged the girl back, despite them never actually having had much contact before this moment. As they separated, Maxine grabbed Allie's hand.

"You take care of our queen, you hear?" Maxine whispered.

Allie's eyes went to Bea then back to Maxine.

"Always," Allie replied, softly smiling.

Maxine nodded, content with knowing that Bea was in good hands. The women all followed her out of H1 block towards the block exit. Allie and Bea were the last ones of the group, and as Bea walked by Allie to follow Maxine, Allie grabbed her hand and held tightly onto it as the other women walked in front of them. Bea wanted to pull away, but the warmth she felt upon grabbing Allie's hand was too calming to not surrender to.

As Maxine headed for the exit, Boomer gave her one last hug, distraught that she was unable to accompany her friend to the hospital, as her petition had been denied by the governor. Vera opened the door with her keycard, letting Maxine pass through. Boomer watched her leave then glared at Vera, who stopped to speak with Jake. Once Maxine was led out of sight by an officer, Boomer tackled Vera.

"YOU FUCKING BITCH!"

Bea let go of Allie as she darted towards Boomer to try to pull her off of the governor. Boomer elbowed Bea in the face and knocked her to the floor as she continued to strangle Vera. Will and Jake struggled to pull Boomer off of Vera, leaving her gasping for breath. The two officers dragged a screaming Boomer down the hall, taking her back to the slot. Vera leaned against the wall as she tried to compose herself, and Allie helped Bea up off the floor. Liz and Sonia checked on Bea while the rest of the women began to clear out.

"Back to your units, all of you!" yelled out Vera. "…Smith, get to medical," she added as she noticed the blood coming out of Bea's nose.

"I'm fine…" Bea replied as she wiped the blood from her face. "Are you?"

Vera nodded and mouthed 'thank you' to Bea. She dusted herself off and as she walked past Bea, she placed a hand on her arm and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up," Allie remarked.

"I'm okay. I just have to…"

Allie took Bea's hand in hers and pulled her down the hall. Upon witnessing this, Liz shot Sonia a look of confusion, while Sonia simply smiled and raised her eyebrows. A smile also came from Ferguson, who had watched the entire encounter from the end of the hallway. As Allie and Bea walked past her, Bea tried to let go of Allie, but Allie refused to loosen her hold, choosing instead to hold her hand tighter as they made their way past the Freak.

…

"You shouldn't be so obvious."

Allie chuckled as she wiped the blood off Bea's face with a towel. They sat side by side on Bea's bed, as Allie gently made Bea tilt her head back to try to stop the bleeding.

"Well, given you knocked Juice out with a barbell to defend me and Ferguson already knows something is going on between us…"

"Wait, what?" Bea's eyes went straight to Allie's.

"It's fine, don't worry about it…" Allie said as she tried to get Bea to tilt her head back again.

"Don't worry about it? What do you mean she knows?" asked Bea, swatting Allie's hand away.

"She…" Allie shook her head. "She made a comment to me about having to bark for two masters and…I don't know, warned me about you or whatever."

Bea rose from the bed and walked over to the sink, resting her hands on it as she stared into the basin. She let out a small, incredulous laugh as she brought the towel back to her face to wipe away the blood and turned back to face Allie.

"What did she say?"

Allie's eyes shifted.

"About what?"

"About me."

"I don't…Bea, it doesn't matter, I don't…"

"Tell me," demanded Bea.

Allie groaned as she slid back on the bed against the wall.

"She…She mentioned, I don't know, how I should be careful, because if you could slit your wrists to get out of prison, then you weren't above throwing me a bone if it meant getting back at Kaz."

Bea brought down the towel and stared at the blood, recalling how initially she had wanted to use Allie to keep tabs on Kaz and Ferguson. Ferguson wasn't completely wrong, and it hurt Bea to admit that to herself. It hurt her even more to admit to herself that she had developed feelings for Allie, feelings she had never had for anyone else. Being with her, being near her felt right, safe, and hopeful.

Now, Ferguson, Juice, and who knows who else were aware that something was going on between Bea and Allie, and it was only a matter of time before Kaz found out. What perplexed Bea the most was that Ferguson would mention knowing of their relationship. Recalling everything Ferguson had done before, Bea ran through dozens of scenarios, trying to understand what Ferguson's motivation was. Knowing her manipulation, Bea questioned what her plan exactly was, but she was unable to come up with a situation that would spell anything other than harm for Allie.

Bea gazed at the bloodstained towel in her hand. Thoughts of Debbie, Simmo, Jodie, Jacs, Brayden, and even Harry raced through her mind. Every death, every act hit her all at once. How she had steam pressed Boomer's hands, how she had struck Juice, how she had bashed Will all played like a horror movie in her mind. Even Maxine, her only friend, was now staring death in the eyes. Franky's words to Bea so long ago echoed as Bea thought of all the harm she had caused, all the deaths she had witnessed, all the blood she had made others shed.

 _You're not a protector. You're the grim fucking reaper._

"D'you believe her?" asked Bea, refusing to look at Allie.

Allie laughed. "You're kidding right?"

Bea looked up and met Allie's eyes. All she could do was shake her head.

"No."

"Of course I don't believe her. Why would you ask me that?"

"Because she's not lying," Bea immediately shot back.

Allie opened her mouth to speak, but all that could come out was the same small, nervous, incredulous laugh.

"Not lying about what?"

Bea sniffled, checking to see if the blood had cleared from her nose. The action caused her a little pain as she kept bleeding. Bea brought the towel back up to her face and tilted her head back as she leaned against the sink.

"She's not lying."

Bea could feel Allie staring at her. Allie's eyes shifted from her to the door to the window, suddenly feeling lost and dissociated from her surroundings. Bea cleared her throat and turned around to wash the towel.

"That day in the showers when you made it…abundantly…clear what you wanted from me… I figured, I had a shot at breaking up Kaz's cult and once Ferguson was moved to your block, well… two fucking birds with one stone. I could keep tabs on her through you as well."

Allie's eyes began to glisten. Bea's words wounded her, her demeanor shattered her. Allie stood up and took a step towards Bea, suddenly afraid to get too close to her.

"Bea…What are you doing?" her voice cracked.

Bea turned back around and forced herself to look at Allie. It took all her strength to not break down at the agony in her eyes. Bea sniffled again, simply shrugging and pursing her lips, as blood continued to flow from her nose, no longer caring to wipe it off.

"Nothing anymore. I mean, if the Freak knows something is going…was going on between us, then, I mean, you can understand how pointless it is for me now to keep up with this charade."

"…Charade?"

"Kaz doesn't seem like such a problem anymore. Twelve years in here with me, maybe she'll finally back off. And I can't count on you getting me any info now that Ferguson knows what a starved dog you are. Hell if anything she might give you wrong information knowing that you'll feed it right back to me. I can't take that chance. This isn't worth it anymore."

"…Bea…If you're afraid of…"

"Afraid? What could I possibly be afraid of? Me? A murderer? A lifer?" Bea laughed as she shook her head.

"Afraid of something happening to me."

"You're full of yourself," Bea scoffed.

"You feel something for me…"

"I feel you pissing me off, that's what I feel. You can go now," Bea ordered, nodding towards the door.

"Bea, I'm not going anywhere…"

"Just get the fuck out, will you?" Bea shouted.

"No!"

Allie grasped Bea's neck with her two hands and kissed her, hoping that she could feel what she had felt before. Bea dropped the towel, shoved her back, and struck Allie across her face with her right hand with a force that knocked Allie to the floor. Bea breathed heavily as she watched the blood flow from Allie's lip, just under where Bea's own blood had touched her during their kiss. Allie brought her hand up to her lip, then stared as if in shock at the blood on her fingertips. Tears began to stream down her face as she looked up at Bea, both women visibly fractured. Allie picked up the towel Bea had dropped and struggled to stand up. Bea fought back her own tears, the most difficult thing she had to do as she watched her only source of bliss break down because of her.

Bea's breathing was heavy, while Allie's was barely perceptible. Allie swallowed hard, a painful lump forming in her throat. She handed the towel to Bea who refused to take it. Allie placed the towel on the sink behind Bea and turned to walk out of the room, quietly shutting the door behind her.

As soon as Allie left, Bea broke down and fell to the floor crying. She gripped and pulled her hair as she rocked back and forth, her emotions frantic, her mind ravaged, her soul devastated, her heart crushed. Bea buried her nails in her scalp, dragging them sharply and deeply enough to break the skin and cause her to bleed. As she brought her hands in front of her, she caught sight of Allie's blood on her right knuckles. Bea brought her hand to her lips and kissed her knuckles, vowing to never have anyone else's blood on her hands again.


	5. Chapter 5: Draw Your Swords

"What?"

Bea leaned back in the chair, ignoring Vera's question, as she knew the governor had definitely heard her.

"You're stepping down?"

Bea stared blankly at Vera and barely nodded.

"You can't… You can't step down. That's not how it works."

Bea continued looking forward and shrugged, unwilling to debate the matter.

"Smith, what's going on with you?"

Bea focused on the ticking of the clock in the governor's office. Her eyes were bloodshot from not sleeping for three nights, dark circles highlighting her vacant stare.

"Smith, if this is about Ferguson…"

"I don't give a fuck about the Freak," uttered Bea.

Vera's puzzlement was visible. She looked down at her desk, towards her computer, and wondered what exactly had happened to make Bea want to step down from her position as top dog, and what was happening that made her stop concerning herself with Ferguson, especially now that Bea had been called to testify against her during the trial in a month.

"Smith, if you step down, this prison will become a madhouse."

"It's a prison. It is a madhouse."

"…Smith, you can't just step down, especially now. Proctor or worse Ferguson could usurp the position and then what?"

Bea pushed herself up on her knees and looked down at Vera.

"I guess we'll see."

Vera stared as Bea walked out of her office in disbelief. She rubbed her face and breathed deeply, racking her brain to try to think of what to do now despite being disturbed by the thought of the hell that was about to be unleashed. Vera grabbed her radio and called for all senior officers to report to the staff room.

…

Bea had avoided the mess hall for the past few days, terrified to have to see Allie once again. She hadn't eaten anything and had conformed herself with drinking water from the sink in her room. She had avoided the courtyard and only showered during rec time. Bea returned to her unit and closed the door behind her, leaning against it and sliding down to the floor. She hit her head against the door twice before dropping her head forward and running her hands through her hair, burying her nails into her scalp. Bea shuffled a bit to pull her pants down then reached for the broken scissors she kept in the gap between the wall and her shelf. She dragged her finger across the blade and looked down at her thigh, as many as twenty cuts now adorning her skin. Bea threw her head back, hitting it against the door again as she buried the blade into her leg and dragged it across her skin, hoping the physical pain would numb the mental anguish.

…

Allie brought her glass of water up to her mouth, finishing what was left of it and wiping her lips with the back of her hand. Ferguson watched her out of the corner of her eye, realizing that something seemed different about her. She turned to look at the H1 table, where only Liz and Sonia sat.

"Is it just me or has Smith skipped out on one too many meals this week?" asked Ferguson, watching for Allie's reaction.

Allie simply shrugged without looking at Ferguson as she waited for Kaz to finish her meal to clear their trays and begin her work duty.

"Actually haven't seen much of her at all lately," responded Kaz, turning to Liz and Sonia. "Oi, Liz, any news from Maxine?"

Liz and Sonia looked over at the H3 table, the rest of the tables quieting and waiting for Liz's response.

"No, nothing yet, Kaz" replied Liz, going back to her conversation with Sonia.

"It's been a few days though…You reckon Bea knows something we don't?"

"What makes you think that?"

Kaz shrugged and looked around the mess hall.

"Haven't seen much of her in a while. I wouldn't put it past her to keep bad news to herself, especially given the guilt she must feel for letting Maxine go alone."

"She did not let Maxine go alone. It was not her decision," interjected Sonia.

"Then where the hell is Bea, huh? It seems she isn't here for any of the women anymore apparently."

"Kaz, love, just finish your lunch, okay?" added Liz.

Kaz rose from the table, setting her hands on it as she addressed the women in the mess hall. Allie placed her elbows on the table and massaged her face, uninterested in hearing the speech Kaz was about to deliver to further revile and condemn Bea in the eyes of the women.

"You know, we have let Bea Smith get away with a lot, because we thought she would protect us, she would help us, she would represent us. And what do we get in return? A top dog who can't even be expected to show up for her girls. A top dog who…"

"My goodness, Karen, how could your ass possibly not tire of all the shit that comes out of your mouth?" Sonia slammed her cup down on the table and stood up, turning to face Kaz. "Let these women enjoy their excuses for food in peace for once. Now sit down and finish your fucking carrots."

Kaz was taken aback by Sonia's boldness, a woman who up until now hadn't seemed confrontational or coarse with her words. Kaz's face turned red, her chagrin more than evident, and she opened her mouth to say something but Sonia stopped her.

"Now."

Kaz didn't know how to respond to this woman who until now had mostly been off of Kaz's radar. All she could do was sit down and stare at Sonia.

"Good girl," Sonia nodded in Kaz's direction.

Sonia inhaled deeply as she pushed her tray towards Liz to have her clear before leaving the mess hall. Liz couldn't hide her confusion, never having seen this side of Sonia before either. Ferguson glared at Sonia as she walked out, a little disconcerted to see how she was able to command Kaz. Allie did her best to hide her amusement as she watched Kaz eat her carrots.

…

Bea sat across from Bridget, focusing on nothing but the ticking of the clock in the room. She had her hands clasped together and slouched in the chair as she twiddled her thumbs.

"Bea, some people here have expressed concern about your recent behavior," began Bridget as she tried to get Bea to make eye contact with her.

"You don't have to lie. I know the governor was the one to suggest this session."

"Well yes, Governor Bennett, but your friends have also…"

"I don't have any friends," interrupted Bea, looking at the wall behind Bridget.

"That's not true, Bea. You would be surprised by how many people here care about your wellbeing."

"The governor just wants to keep someone she can deal with in power."

"I'm not talking about…"

"Is this session obligatory? If it is, by all means, slot me as soon as I leave."

Bea rose from the chair and headed towards the door, reaching for the handle.

"Allie asked me to speak with you."

Bea froze, a strange surge of joy hitting her simply at the mention of Allie. She dropped her hand and turned back around, trying to keep herself as composed as possible.

"Allie?" Bea felt pain as she spoke her name.

"She told me she believes you're not eating, you've been skipping out on meals, and retreating from your group of friends, Liz and Sonia particularly."

Bea's eyes went to the floor. She felt guilt build up inside her as she remembered what she had done to Allie.

"She doesn't know anything about me," Bea remarked as she turned back towards the door.

"I understand you're concerned about her safety, Bea…but you shouldn't isolate yourself in an attempt to protect her…or to protect yourself."

Bea looked up at the ceiling as she placed her hand on the door handle, gripping it tightly but unable to turn it to open the door.

"I can't protect anyone."

Bea turned the door handle and walked out of the room. Bridget twirled her pen in her fingers as she looked out the window and exhaled deeply. She looked down at her notepad, tossing it to the floor as she stood up. Realizing what time it was, Bridget pulled her cellphone out of her pocket and dialed a number as she began to pace the room, waiting for an answer.

…

"Allie, get up, let's go."

Allie looked up from her book to see Kaz standing over her and a crowd of women in the common area of H3.

"What?"

Kaz yanked the book out of her hands and threw it in the sink. She gestured towards the women outside her room.

"Come on, let's go."

"Where are we going?"

Kaz turned around and exchanged looks with Ferguson, who was at the front of the pack before grabbing Allie's wrist and pulling her up from her bed.

…

Sonia's eyes remain fixed on Bea, seeing nothing but a shell of a woman as she mechanically went about her work with the steam press, seemingly staring at nothing and barely even blinking. Her attention went to Bea's hands, both bruised and scabbed, as if she had hit a wall. Then she focused on Bea's eyes, red on the inside and black on the outside. Sonia leaned back against the table where Liz was folding sheets.

"She hasn't always been like this, has she?" asked Sonia whisperingly as she leaned in to Liz.

Liz turned to look at Bea then back at Sonia as she continued folding.

"Nah, but this prison changes you."

"How long has she been in here?"

"Far too long, love."

Sonia removed her glasses and began to clean them with a lens cloth. Her eyes went to the clock as she did this, then to Officer Miles, the only guard present, who suddenly walked out of the laundry room. The door to the laundry room opened again not five seconds after it had closed and Kaz walked inside, followed by her crew and over fifteen other women. A few women grabbed pillowcases and headed for the cameras, covering them with the pillowcases. Liz and Sonia looked back over at Bea, who either didn't notice the horde that had packed the laundry room or didn't care about what was about to happen as she brought the steam press down on yet another white sheet.

"Oi, Bea, a word?" called out Kaz as she came within a couple of feet of Bea.

Bea finally looked up, not paying attention to the twenty-something women who weren't supposed to be in the laundry room, choosing to solely focus on Allie for the few seconds she had to treasure the sight of her. Bea raised the steam press and removed the sheet, folding it once and placing it on the table. She ran her left hand through her hair, managing to tear away at scabs that had not yet healed on her scalp.

"What d'you want?" Bea asked uninterestedly as she grabbed another white sheet.

"Our group here represents the voices of over a hundred women in this prison who have come together to let you know that we've all had enough of your unchecked power and complete ignorance of their needs."

"Is that right? What's your group's name, the Blue Left Foot?" remarked Bea as she placed the sheet on the steam press.

Allie couldn't help but smile, something Bea noticed as she fought back a smile of her own upon seeing the glow in Allie's eyes. Sonia and Liz laughed as Kaz scowled at them before turning her attention back to the person who not long ago was her paragon of strength, bravery, and virtue, now reduced to nothing but shattered pieces of an idol.

"You think this is fucking funny?" asked Kaz, coming a few steps closer to Bea.

Sonia and Liz began to approach Bea, but were stopped when three women from Kaz's group stood their ground in front of them, towering over the two smaller women. Liz made eye contact with Doreen, who stood next to Ferguson at the front of the group. Liz shook her head at Doreen, but all Doreen did was cross her arms and turn back to face the standoff between Kaz and Bea.

"Look's like Queen Bea's out of soldiers, huh?" whispered Kaz to Bea.

Bea glowered at Kaz, exhausted from all the stress this woman who once revered her had now caused her. Kaz turned her head towards her group, signaling with her head towards Bea and snapping her fingers. Two women rushed behind the steam press on either side of Bea, one punching her in the face and the other kneeing her in the stomach. Liz and Sonia tried to break through to help Bea, but the women from Kaz's crew attacked them, one punching Sonia and knocking her to the floor, the other grabbing Liz and throwing her against the table behind her, causing her head to hit the cornered edge of it and knocking her out. As Bea struggled to remain standing during the violent assault, one woman grabbed her by her right arm and the other by her left arm.

Allie watched in horror as Bea refused to even fight to break free from their hold. She had no energy, no willpower, no spirit left to fight anymore. Bea knew the transfer of power couldn't happen without any blood, so despite the pain she felt, the blood she spewed, she seemed to find some inkling of peace with the thought of finally being relieved of the position and of the world she had watched erode around her since she arrived in prison. Kaz stepped over to the steam press and turned to face the women.

"We don't need a top dog in this prison."

Her remark was met with approval from the crowd, who cheered and even clapped. Ferguson smiled, as she was pleased with the reaction of the women and for witnessing Kaz finally take charge.

"We don't need someone who makes us feel like targets. We don't need someone who makes us feel less safe. We don't need someone who puts us in danger."

The women all voiced their agreement as the woman holding Bea's head and right arm forced her down into the opening of the steam press, as Bea instinctively struggled to keep them from pushing her head down altogether.

"We don't need Bea Smith," declared Kaz as she placed her left hand on the steam press handle.

"NO!"

Allie charged towards Kaz and tackled her into the woman behind her who was holding Bea's right arm and the back of her head. All three women fell to the floor as Allie began to hit Kaz with all her force. The woman holding Bea's left arm rapidly forced it into the steam press and brought the steam press down. Bea screamed as the press burned through her flesh. Allie screamed out Bea's name as she turned and reached up, pushing the steam press open from below, burning her own right hand as she came into contact with the blistering surface, but allowing Bea to pull her scalding arm out of the machine. Bea fell back against the dryers, holding her arm out in horror as she shook from the tremendous throbbing pain in her arm.

The woman who had forced Bea's arm into the steam press pulled Allie by her hair to drag her off of Kaz and throw her back on the floor. The other woman stood back up and kicked Allie in the stomach and then in the face. Bea jumped up and over Kaz on the floor and forced the woman hitting Allie to face her as her burning left hand battered the woman straight across the face, causing Bea extreme pain. The other woman tried punching Bea, who pulled back quickly, causing the woman to miss and stumble, giving Bea the opportunity to grip the back of her head and smash it against the outside of the steam press.

While Bea had her back to her, Ferguson stepped forward to wrap her arm around Bea's neck and interlock it with her other arm like a snake, chokeholding Bea and dragging her behind the steam press as Bea struggled to breathe. Kaz and Allie both jumped up from the floor at the same time, and as Allie tried to run towards Ferguson and Bea, Kaz lunged into her, tackling her into the wall, and began to beat her as she fell on top of her, grabbing Allie by her hair and bashing her head against the concrete floor.

In all the commotion, no one noticed Sonia rise up from the floor and dart towards the panic button. The congregation of women scattered like wild animals at the sound of the sirens going off, leaving only Liz, Sonia, Kaz, Allie, Bea, and Ferguson in the laundry room, the rest of the women unwilling to suffer the consequences of whatever tragedy was about to occur. Ferguson's hold of Bea's neck grew tighter and restricted her breathing. Slowly, Bea stopped wrestling against Ferguson and began to give out, drifting into unconsciousness as the physical exertion and drain her body had endured over the last few days overwhelmed her.

"Time for you to abdicate your throne, my dearest queen," Ferguson whispered into Bea's ear.

Bea's eyes closed. Suddenly, Ferguson loosened her hold on Bea, who fell forward to the floor coughing and gasping for air, as Sonia had snuck up behind Ferguson and buried her nails into her eyes. Ferguson screamed as she spun around to blindly attack Sonia, who pushed Ferguson back into the steam press, quickly grabbing her hand and bringing the press down on it. Ferguson howled as Sonia threw her weight on top of the hot steam press to ensure Ferguson was harmed as profoundly as possible. Try as she might, Ferguson was unable to pull her arm out as Sonia's body weight held the steam press closed. Blood flowed from both her eyes as Ferguson squeezed them shut from the pain, making it impossible for Ferguson to see Sonia or try to fight against her.

Bea's head turned to see Kaz on top of an immobile Allie and forced herself to get up and run to pull Kaz off of Allie with her right hand. With what little strength she had left, she struck Kaz across her face, while Kaz took the blow, and then reached to grab Bea's left arm and bury her nails into it, forcing Bea to let out a scream from the pain. Kaz pulled Bea's left arm and threw her to the floor, bringing herself down on top of Bea, as she buried her knee into Bea's bleeding and throbbing left arm, and driving her nails into the woman's neck as she strangled her.

Sonia finally slipped off of the steam press and slid to the floor as Ferguson yanked what was left of her arm out in the middle of screaming, streams of blood flowing from both of her eyes. Sonia scooted back a bit, a smile creeping over her face at the sight of Ferguson in agony. She turned to look at Bea, only to see Allie rush towards Kaz and deliver a vicious kick to her face.

Kaz was knocked unconscious by the force of Allie's kick. She fell off and next to Bea as Bea rolled away from Kaz and began to cough up blood. As Allie watched Bea vomiting blood, the door to the laundry room opened, and Vera, Will, Jake, and Miles all ran inside, all freezing at the sight of all the blood in the room, all unsure of who to help first. Vera's eyes scanned the entire room. Liz lay unconscious and bleeding from her forehead, Ferguson lay bleeding from her eyes and her arm, Sonia sat with the blood of Ferguson's eyes staining her fingers, Kaz lay unconscious with blood flowing from her face, Bea lay bleeding out of her face, her arm, and her mouth, and Allie simply stood there, looking at everyone around her, as she bled from her nose, her lips, and her head. She looked down at Bea again and fell to her knees, gently grabbing Bea's head and cradling her as she continued to cough up blood, while Vera, Will, Jake, and Miles continued to stare in shock, as the sirens continued to blare throughout the prison.


	6. Chapter 6: More Than I Can Take

Maxine slowly entered H1, becoming a little disappointed to see that none of her friends were around the unit. She carried her bag of personal belongings into her room and sat down on her bed, setting the bag down on the floor next to her. Maxine placed her hands on her legs and rubbed them, before bringing them up to her chest and gently massaging, tearing up at the different feeling of her body. Maxine heard the voices of Liz and Sonia outside. She wiped the tears from her eyes and stood up to walk out of her unit, stopping at the door. Her forced smile quickly disappeared as she noticed the stitches on Liz's forehead. Both women called out each other's names as their eyes met. Sonia simply smiled, walking over to the kitchenette as she observed Liz and Maxine embrace each other softly, both women speaking at the same time as each questioned the well being of the other, while holding each other's faces and smiling and crying at the same time. Eventually, they sat down at the table, neither able to get in a word without the other interrupting with an equally caring inquiry.

"Okay, you first, how are you, love?" asked Liz, tightly holding onto Maxine's hand.

"I'm fine…The operation couldn't have gone better and… I'm back home now," added Maxine, forcing another smile as tears formed in her eyes. "But, what, what happened to you, Liz? Where is everyone?" she asked, looking around the H1 unit.

Liz forced a smile back as she stared at Maxine's hand and began to pat it, unsure of where to actually begin. Sonia brought over two cups of tea and set them on coasters in front of Maxine and Liz, who were grateful yet surprised by her act of kindness.

"During work duty two days ago, Elizabeth and I were struck by two of Karen's minions who had all assembled to depose Beatrice by steam pressing her face, but Alison intervened, causing Joan to switch tactics and attempt to strangle Beatrice, then I inserted myself into the situation, and now they are all either in the medical unit, the protection unit, or solitary confinement."

Maxine's mouth opened in horror, unable to formulate a question or a comment in response to Sonia's blunt, matter-of-fact statement. She turned to face Liz, maybe hoping for an addition that would help her process the events. All Liz could do was bob her head and continue to stroke Maxine's hand with her thumb.

"Biscuits?" asked Sonia, turning back towards the kitchenette.

"MAXINE!"

Sonia and Liz turned and rushed to stop Boomer from hugging Maxine, knowing the amount of pain it could cause the woman despite the tremendous amount of joy she would feel from it.

…

The images of the laundry room replayed in Vera's mind as she stared at her computer. She had gone through hours of surveillance footage, trying to piece together what could have possibly happened beyond the women all ending up at each other's throats, as she had failed to receive any useful information from any of the inmates involved and had still not spoken with the main victim of it all who had been unconscious since the incident. After discussing with Will, they came to the agreement to send Ferguson back into protection with medical supervision, place Kaz and Allie in the slot, and hold Bea in the medical unit as she had been the most harmed in the brutal assault. Liz and Sonia were presumed to solely have had the misfortune of being collateral damage. Officer Miles was suspended for having abandoned her position and leaving open a window of opportunity for the attack, a decision Vera was satisfied with, especially after Miles failed to give her a good reason as to why she left in the first place.

Vera reached for her computer mouse and replayed the clips she had gathered prior to the time the distress signal was pressed. A group of women led by Kaz headed for the laundry room, and upon arriving at the entrance, Miles exited the laundry room. The officer then joined up with Jake, who smiled and led her into a hallway and out of the view of the cameras. The ensuing clip was a combination of cuts from different cameras, all going dark on the final image of Bea bringing down the steam press on a sheet. The final clip was of women running from the laundry room.

Vera received an incoming radio call, letting her know that Bea was coming to. Vera rose from her chair and rushed out of her office, intent on finding out what had happened in the hopes that it would be ammunition against Ferguson.

…

Bea slowly opened her eyes, finally having been able to sleep after so many torturous nights of restlessness. Her feeling of repose quickly dissolved as the soreness and pangs brought on by her attack hit nearly every inch of her body. She groaned as she squeezed her eyes shut again and clenched her fists, only able to do it with her right fist as her left hand was completely covered by a cast that ran up her forearm.

"Well, well, look who's finally awake."

Bea turned to face Nurse Radcliffe who was looking down at her clipboard.

"You feeling good?" she asked walking over to stand next to Bea's bed.

Bea blinked twice as she looked at her, wondering if this nurse was seriously asking such a senseless and moronic question.

"Well…You look… _great_ , so… hopefully we have you out of here by tomorrow, sound good?"

Bea glared at Nurse Radcliffe, who was forced to look away, a little scared by the look Bea was giving her. She cleared her throat to speak again, but was interrupted by the governor opening the door to the medical unit.

"Ah, Governor, glad you're here…" began Nurse Radcliffe.

"Give us a minute," cut in Vera, stepping over to Bea's bed.

Nurse Radcliffe's eyes shifted left and right as she walked away from Bea. Vera looked Bea up and down, recalling the last time she had ever seen her in such a horrible condition was after her fight with Franky. Bea had a blackened left eye with stitches right above it, a busted and swollen lip, bruises up and down her cheek and all over her neck, her left arm covered by a cast, her right arm and legs all splotched with discoloration.

"You're not looking well, Smith…How are you feeling?"

Bea groaned as she closed her eyes again, longing to go back to sleep.

"So, ready to tell me what happened?"

Bea opened her eyes again but stared at the ceiling, the blinding light above her forcing her to turn her gaze to the side.

"Smith, it would benefit the two of us tremendously if you talked to me."

Bea looked over at Nurse Radcliffe, standing at the counter on the other side of the room and looking through her clipboard again. Vera turned to see what had caught Bea's attention, becoming upset as she saw the nurse standing there.

"Did I not tell you to give us a minute?" Vera nearly shouted.

Nurse Radcliffe placed the clipboard on the counter behind her and exited the medical unit, closing the door behind her and walking out of sight.

"Employee of the month material," remarked Bea in a low and cracked voice.

Bea lightly chuckled but quickly stopped, as the pain in her chest and throat was too much to bear, only worsening as she began to cough. Vera couldn't help but feel pity as she watched the battered woman fight to suppress her coughs. Part of her was in shock at the recent bashing she had endured, part of her was in awe at the thought of how much violence and suffering the woman had undergone since even before she arrived at Wentworth, wondering how anyone could find the strength time and time again to even continue breathing. Vera walked over to the sink, grabbing a plastic cup and filling it with water. Vera brought it back to Bea as she placed her hand under Bea's head, helping raise her ever so slightly so she could drink, her coughing subsiding until it disappeared.

"Thank you," Bea uttered as she rested her head back on the pillow.

Vera placed the cup on the table next to Bea. She wanted to leave Bea and let her get much more rest, but she had to act now that this seemingly invincible woman was at her weakest.

"Bea, tell me what happened. Who did this to you, Proctor or Ferguson?"

Bea thought back to the assault she had endured and realized that she didn't even know the names of the women who started out bashing her and forced her into the steam press. Bea wanted to tell Vera it was Kaz and Ferguson and two other women from Kaz's crew, but as the never-ending cycle of threat and punishment loomed in her mind, the fear of repercussions kept her from saying anything. Bea was in no position to fight for herself anymore, and she was certainly in no position to fight for anyone else.

"Bea, if you tell me, you'll be safe," Vera added as if reading Bea's mind. "Ferguson is back in protection, and Proctor's in the slot. No one is going to do anything to you."

Safe. Safe in a prison where it seemed someone was trying to hurt her or kill her every other week since she arrived. Bea wondered if Vera honestly believed she could keep anyone safe, even herself while inside these suffocating walls.

"Where's Allie?" Bea asked looking Vera in the eyes.

Vera seemed confused by Bea's interest in Allie, as opposed to her asking about Liz or even Sonia first, but she answered her anyways.

"We had to slot her…"

"What? Why?" Bea asked, attempting to sit up in her bed but failing due to the pain any movement currently caused her.

Vera gently held Bea down by her shoulder, stopping her from trying to sit up, as she recalled Allie standing in the laundry room, looking down at Bea before she fell to her knees to hold her, as she coughed and bled on Allie.

"…When we found you all in the laundry room, she was standing over you and Proctor, blood all over her clothes and shoes, her hands, her face, and the imprint of her shoe on Proctor's face…pretty clear she played some part in the assault, but what I can't understand is if she just went after you or Proctor or Ferguson or managed to somehow take you all out."

Bea thought about her next words carefully. She wanted Allie out of the slot, but at the same time she didn't want to have to lag at the risk of it getting back to her, causing more problems for her or for Allie now after everything she had done in the laundry room. She remembered seeing Liz knocked unconscious by the folding table. She remembered seeing Sonia punched and hitting the floor. She remembered being beaten by Kaz's women. She remembered hearing Allie's scream and seeing her barrel into Kaz. She remembered having the steam press brought down on her arm. She remembered Allie burning herself as she pushed it open from the floor. She remembered trying to fend off the women as they attacked Allie. She remembered Ferguson's words as she choked her. She remembered seeing Sonia burying her nails into Ferguson's eyes and driving the woman into the steam press. She remembered Kaz beating Allie. She remembered Allie driving her foot through Kaz's face. She remembered Allie holding her and caressing her head and face. Bea had no strength, physical or mental, to confront anyone anymore after all of that.

"Allie was helping me… Liz, Sonia, and I were ambushed in the laundry room and Allie helped me."

"…Ambushed by who? Proctor and Ferguson?"

Bea breathed in deeply, the pain in her chest increasing.

"Bea, if you tell me what was going on with that whole…mob of women who showed up to the laundry room, I can help you, but you need to tell me what happened, who attacked you, because if it wasn't Novak then…"

"Why do you need me to say it?" Bea asked, closing her eyes. "You know about the mob, you saw Kaz and the Freak, so why keep asking me what you already know the answer to?"

Vera was confident that the attack had been orchestrated by Kaz and Ferguson, but Vera needed Bea to name Ferguson. As her trial neared, Vera wanted anything she could get on Ferguson to use against her and keep her from threatening her position at Wentworth. As Vera was about to begin speaking again, there was a knock on the door. Vera turned to see Maxine, Liz, and Boomer standing outside the door. Vera looked back at Bea who still had her eyes closed.

"Looks like you've got some visitors, Smith," smiled Vera as she made her way to the door and opened it, beckoning for all the women to come in.

"Give them a minute," ordered Vera as she walked past Nurse Radcliffe who only scoffed in response as she continued to wait outside the medical room.

…

Allie quickly opened her eyes at the sound of her door opening. She pushed herself up on her elbows to see who it was, but laid back down on her bed when she realized it was Vera.

"How are you, Novak?" asked Vera, coming into the room and closing the door behind her.

"Simply splendid. Five-star slot accommodations you have going here, Governor," Allie replied sarcastically.

"Any possibility you're up for finally talking to me about the events of the laundry room?"

Allie sat up again on her bed. She had her right hand bandaged from the burn she suffered pushing the steam press open to help Bea, a blackened eye, a cut lip, and stitches running down the right side of her forehead and ending just at the end of her eyebrow, her injuries reminding Vera of Bea's to a certain degree. Allie took a deep breath and looked down at her hand, before simply shrugging and pulling her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them.

"Where's Bea?"

Vera's eyebrows furrowed, realizing that Bea and Allie's expressed concern for one another could not have been coincidental.

"She's under observation right now…"

"She all right?" asked Allie, the legitimate worry visible in her eyes.

"…She'll be fine… Novak…"

Vera paused, unsure of what to actually say to Allie at this point. She believed Bea when she told her Allie had helped her, she knew Proctor and Ferguson were behind the attack, but what now seemed to slightly perplex her was why Allie would choose to defend Bea over Kaz.

"…Yes, Governor?" asked Allie.

"…Let's get you to medical for a checkup."

Vera knocked on the door as the officer outside opened it. Allie looked around the room, a little confused but not about to question the opportunity she was given to see Bea again. Allie rushed to put her hoodie on and practically ran out of the room, as Kaz stared out the door window and watched her leave the slot from the room across from hers.

…

"What, another visitor?" asked Nurse Radcliffe as Vera opened the door to let Allie walk into the medical unit.

"No, a patient for you, the supposed nurse of the prison," retorted Vera.

"Oh, sorry… what seems to be the problem?"

Allie ignored both of them as she went rigid at the sight of Bea. Never could she have imagined the extent of the damage that had been inflicted on her. Nurse Radcliffe turned to look at what Allie was staring at.

"Have a seat," stated Nurse Radcliffe, motioning to the empty bed next to Bea's.

Allie shook out of her state of shock as she walked over and sat down on the bed, unable to take her eyes off of Bea's seemingly lifeless body. Feelings of anger and grief and hatred built up inside of her, anger for Kaz, grief for Bea, and hatred for herself for not having intervened sooner to help Bea. Vera stood back against the wall as she quietly observed Allie's reactions. Nurse Radcliffe began to run some basic tests on Allie, since she was reluctant to speak and answer any of the nurse's questions. She checked her temperature, flashed a light in her eyes, tried to get Allie to follow her finger, then picked up her watch and placed her fingers on Allie's wrist, as she began to time her pulse rate.

"Your pulse is racing. Are you all right?" asked Nurse Radcliffe.

Allie's breathing began to quicken as she stared blankly past the nurse at Bea, whose eyes were closed and whose breathing was barely perceptible. Vera witnessed all she needed to and pushed herself off of the wall, motioning towards Nurse Radcliffe to follow her out of the medical unit. The nurse stood against the wall on the left side of the door, as Vera stood in front of her to discuss Allie's condition, watching Allie out of the corner of her eye as she rose from the bed to kneel next to Bea.

Allie reached her hand out, longing to touch Bea but terrified of hurting her, as she was unable to find one part of her body that was unharmed. Tears began to well in her eyes as she clenched both of her fists, burying her fingernails into her palms, hurting her burnt hand in the process.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered, folding her arms on the bed and bringing her face down into them as she began to cry.

"I'm so sorry."

Allie's head shot up to look at Bea, who warmly and lovingly looked back at her with bloodshot, tearful eyes. Allie practically jumped off the floor to come closer to Bea and bring her lips down to meet hers, gently and tenderly, not wanting to hurt her anymore. Allie brought her bandaged hand up to caress Bea's cheek as she stopped kissing her to look in her eyes, who was no longer capable of holding back her own tears as she struggled to speak.

"Allie, I'm so sorry, I never meant to hurt you, I just wanted you to be okay, and I thought that if you weren't near me…"

"Shh, shh, I know, I know, it's okay…" Allie insisted as she planted a small kiss on Bea's forehead. "…Are you okay?" Allie asked, stroking Bea's face.

"Yeah, I'm great," Bea's voice cracked as she forced a small, painful laugh. "I don't feel as bad as I look."

"You look beautiful as always…" Allie whispered.

As Allie leaned in to kiss Bea once again and closed her eyes, her tears fell, fusing with Bea's tears and running down her cheeks. Vera kept Nurse Radcliffe talking, no longer paying attention to what she was saying, as she glanced over now and again at Allie and Bea.


	7. Chapter 7: Breathe Me

"You sure you're okay to go back?" asked Will.

"Yeah, yeah, thank you. Honestly I think one more day with Nurse Lipstick would've been what ended up killing me."

Will laughed as he walked Bea back to H1. He kept his hand behind her, avoiding touching her, but ready to support her should she need it. They walked slower than normal through the halls as Bea still felt pain in her entire body, as other inmates watched their wounded top dog pass by them. Some greeted her, some simply stared at her. Some felt pity, some felt anger. But they all seemed to want to discuss the same question while she had been in the medical unit and especially now that she was out again. Who was top dog?

Bea was the most popular answer. Sonia told stories to anyone who asked that Bea managed to take out both Kaz and Ferguson, which was not exactly the truth. Had Allie and Sonia not been there, Bea wouldn't be walking back to H1 right now. Regardless, Sonia was the only person capable of spreading any kind of news about the incident, as Kaz and Ferguson were gone, and upon being released from the slot, Allie refused to talk to anyone about anything. Thus, Sonia wrote the headlines. Not only did Bea manage to survive the attack, but she also managed to get her two greatest adversaries to face punishment for what they had done, a good refresher for anyone who was looking to challenge Bea again. Kaz would be let out of the slot eventually, so Sonia wanted to ensure that she returned to a disappointed population who no longer believed her to be a good leader, especially since her own crew ran at the sound of the alarm, and her right hand chose to defend her worst enemy. Bea had won, so nothing had changed. If anything, the women should be more frightened of her now because Bea took note of every last woman who had shown up to the laundry room that day, and if she could take out Ferguson and Kaz at the same time, two of the most defiant and strongest inmates to challenge Bea, there was no telling what she would do to the rest of the women who paled in comparison.

The next most common answer was Maxine, who although had returned frail and in a delicate condition, would most likely take over again with Boomer at her side while Bea fully recovered, if only to supervise, given that no one dared to try to cross Bea so soon after what had happened. Some of the women believed if they had to have a top dog, it should be someone who didn't scare them to death. While Maxine would be willing to fill in temporarily again, she didn't want the position. When the different version of events Sonia was spreading reached her, she became concerned, given that Sonia had previously mentioned that it was because she intervened that Bea was still alive, but who was now completely leaving herself out of the story.

The newest and most unusual answer for who should step up as top dog was none other than Allie. While no one saw what occurred after the distress signal had been pushed, the group Kaz had assembled in the laundry room had all witnessed her former right hand take her down to defend Bea, thus potentially mapping out new alliances. But no one quite understood why Allie would betray Kaz in that manner, and that was one area Sonia refused to touch on. While Sonia still portrayed Allie as heroic for having come to the aid of Bea and then remain to help out the top dog when Kaz's own crew ran, Juice and her crew made sure to spread their own headline that Allie didn't try to help a woman because she was appalled that a woman's face was about to be seared off in front of her, but she helped because Bea and Allie were secretly together. Juice's crew made sure that anyone who listened knew that for future reference, if they wanted to get to Bea, they just had to get to Allie, and then Bea would go down with her.

Allie choked on her water as she laughed upon hearing Sonia say that some women were calling for her to be top dog. Maxine, Boomer, and Liz all joined in laughing with Allie.

"What? Why is that funny?" Sonia asked as she looked around at the women. "Don't believe you would be a good top dog?"

"Fuck no," Allie laughed as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Why not?" asked Sonia.

"Well, for starters, I don't want to, and…No I think that pretty much covers it."

"Neither did Beatrice from what I've learned and look how she turned out."

Maxine, Boomer, and Liz all exchanged looks, their laughs and smiles disappearing in unison before all turning to Allie. Then they all looked back down to focus on their trays, even though the majority of their food had already been finished.

"I don't know, Allison…You demonstrated great potential in the laundry room."

"Yeah, 'cause I was trying to defend Bea, not establish dominance." Allie leaned in to speak to Sonia who was sitting next to her, the others barely able to hear her. "And for that matter, why aren't you in the mix as well if you were the one to take out the Freak?"

Without looking, Sonia slid her tray towards Liz for her to clear and stood up from the table.

"Because, darling, I'm not the one sitting in the top dog's chair," Sonia whispered.

Sonia smiled at Allie and walked out of the mess hall. Liz sighed and picked up both trays to empty them. Allie and Maxine looked at each other.

"Not gonna lie, that bite-sized bitch gives me the creeps," declared Boomer, as she rose from the table and left to clear her tray.

"The hell was that about?" asked Allie.

"Did she really take down Ferguson?" asked Maxine, leaning in to whisper.

"Yeah, she did," Allie nodded.

"How is that even possible?"

"Dug her fucking nails into the Freak's eyes while she was too distracted strangling Bea, then cooked her arm in the steam press," Allie whispered.

"Then why is she going around telling everyone Bea did it?"

Allie opened her mouth to respond, but could not say anything, settling for just shrugging and shaking her head, unable to actually answer. Allie looked down at the table, becoming uncomfortable upon hearing and fully realizing she was sitting in Bea's chair at the H1 table during lunch. She had only chosen that seat because the H1 crew who was already sitting stopped her after she had grabbed her food. She didn't think about how the rest of the women in the mess hall would perceive this innocent action.

"…I have to get to work," Allie spoke as she pushed her chair back from the table and cleared her tray.

…

Will stood by the door to Bea's unit, hesitating to enter but wanting to make sure she didn't need his assistance anymore. He watched Bea struggle to slide back on her bed, her left arm in a cast and sling, making it even more difficult to shuffle herself all the way back against the wall. Her feet dangled off the edge of the bed.

"Sure you don't want anything to eat?" he asked.

"No, thank you, I'm fine," she softly replied.

"Okay, well, if you do need anything, just let me or one of the officers know… Ve… The governor and I also don't want you reporting for work for the time being."

"Concerned about another attack? Don't worry, Mr. Jackson, I imagine the women will be a bit more creative in choosing the next location."

Bea tried to clear her throat, causing her to begin coughing erratically. Will hurried to the kitchenette and grabbed a cup, filling it with water, and then running it back to Bea. She gratefully took the cup and finished it all.

"Thank you, Mr. Jackson."

"It's not that, it's just…"

Will couldn't help but stare at Bea, the pain she felt evident in her eyes. He wanted to offer his help, but he wasn't even sure if he could still do that, as it seemed everyone who was supposed to protect this woman had failed to do so tremendously and repeatedly since the first day she arrived.

"…Just…Just take some time to get better, okay?"

He took the cup from her hand and set it down on the sink. As he turned to face Bea again, he noticed the picture of Debbie on her tackboard. Bea turned her head to look at what he was staring.

"D'you draw that?" he asked, pointing towards the picture.

Bea turned back to him and nodded.

"That's really good, Bea. Didn't know we had an artist in here."

"Are you mocking me, Mr. Jackson?" Bea softly laughed.

"No, no of course not, I mean it. It's just…I find it strange how you can be around these women for most of the day for so many weeks, months, years even and… and not really get to know them."

"You're telling me."

Will smiled at Bea, the compassion he felt for her manifesting itself in his eyes.

"Knock knock."

Will and Bea turned to the door, seeing Allie leaning against the doorway with her hands in her hoodie's pockets. Will turned back to Bea and gave her a small wave, nodding to Allie as she moved aside to let him through.

"Maybe I should make nice with Screwart," Allie began as she stepped inside and shut the door behind her. "I could use another screw friend keeping an eye on you."

Bea laughed, recalling when Allie first questioned her friendship with Will.

"Shouldn't you be at work?" Bea asked, unable to contain her joy at seeing Allie.

"See, I was…" Allie plopped down next to Bea. "But then I heard my queen was out of medical, so I figured you could use a little honey to further sweeten your day…"

Allie leaned in to kiss Bea, who was euphoric to have Allie's soft lips back on hers. In that moment, all the pain, all the worries, all the doubts Bea had faded away. Not wanting to push Bea further, knowing she was in no position to do anything other than kiss, Allie forced herself to break away from Bea and looked down, reaching into the pocket of her hoodie.

"Oh yeah, also, I brought you honey to help with your coughing," Allie said, holding out a small bottle and spoon while smirking.

Bea couldn't help but laugh, which immediately turned into coughing. Allie uncapped the honey and carefully poured it into the spoon, capping the bottle again and letting it drop onto the bed. Allie placed her hand on the back of Bea's neck and helped her take the honey as she massaged Bea's neck. Bea swallowed it, grateful that the substance quickly calmed her.

"Two is better than one," Allie said, pouring another spoonful and holding it up to Bea.

When Bea finished it, Allie stood up from the bed and placed the bottle of honey on Bea's shelf, taking her hoodie off afterwards and throwing it behind her on the bed. She stood at the sink to rinse out the spoon, while Bea admired her, her eyes drifting from Allie's hair all the way down to her legs. She began to wonder how she could have gone her entire life without ever feeling anything close to what Allie made her feel.

"You checking me out?" Allie asked, upon seeing Bea stare at her in the mirror.

"It's only fair given how much you did it."

"Good point," Allie laughed. "Well as much as I would love for you to continue lusting after me, I should let you get some rest."

Allie bent over to carefully take off Bea's shoes, setting them next to her bed. She sat down next to Bea and helped her remove the sling holding her arm up and placed it on the floor next to her shoes. Allie hooked Bea's right arm over her shoulder, and wrapped her left arm around Bea to hug her waist, as she slowly helped Bea move closer to the head of the bed, before laying her down on her back as she slid her arm out from underneath Bea. Not wanting to have to make her move again to pull out the blanket from under her, Allie picked up her hoodie and used it to cover Bea, as she sat on the bed again, looking down at her. She gently pushed the strands of her hair away from Bea's face and tucked them behind her ears, deeply exhaling as she gazed into Bea's eyes.

"Are you okay?"

Bea opened her mouth to speak, stopping herself, as she was unsure of how to ask Allie for a favor.

"What?" Allie asked as her eyes shifted. "Do you need something? Are you uncomfortable? Do…"

"Will…Will you please stay with me…just…just for a while?"

Allie softly smiled, wondering what would ever make Bea hesitate to ask a question like that.

"I'll stay with you for as long as you'll have me."

Allie kicked her shoes off before lying down on her side next to Bea. She slid her left arm underneath Bea, and draped her right arm over her, hugging her and pulling her in close, as she kissed Bea's cheek before nuzzling her neck and closing her eyes. Bea stared up at the ceiling, doing her best to keep her eyes wide open, to keep her built up tears from escaping.

…

Jake knocked on Vera's door, opening it and walking inside.

"Doreen Anderson for you, Governor."

"Thank you, Mr. Stewart. Have a seat, Anderson."

Doreen hesitated but ultimately took the chair in front of Vera's desk as Jake walked back out and waited outside the door. Vera stared her down.

"Do you know why you're here, Anderson?" Vera asked, knowing Doreen would never say yes to that question.

"No, Governor, I don't," answered Doreen sheepishly.

Vera continued to stare down Doreen. She took in a deep breath in preparation for the news she was about to deliver, anticipating the overreaction.

"I have made the decision to remove you as peer worker."

Doreen's eyes widened, completely baffled by the governor's statement.

"Wh…What? Why?"

"Do you really not know the answer?" Vera asked, amused at Doreen's display of innocence.

Doreen looked down at the floor, as if trying to think of a reason why she would lose her position as peer worker.

"Very well. You were tasked with watching over Tasha. What happened to her, Anderson?"

"…She was almost ganged…"

"I'm sorry, what?" Vera asked, holding her hand behind her ear.

"She was almost ganged…But I had nothing to do with that, Governor!"

"Where is she now?"

Doreen could do nothing but blink and shake her head.

"I don't know…" Doreen whispered.

"Speak up."

"I don't know, Governor."

"Of course you don't. She's in the psych ward, not that you care. Seems you've been a little busy scheming to hurt Bea Smith to pay attention to anyone else."

"No! Of course not, I would never…"

Vera turned her computer monitor towards Doreen without taking her eyes off her. Doreen looked at the screen to see a still image of the group that had gone into the laundry room to take down Bea. Doreen was right behind Kaz and next to Ferguson in the image. She looked at the floor again as she began to weep.

"You can see how problematic it is to have a peer worker who formed part of a group intent on murder, correct?"

"No, I had nothing to do with that!"

"Is… Is this not you right here?" Vera asked, pointing towards Doreen in the image.

"It…No it is but… Kaz led us to believe we would just remove the position altogether, but I never thought she and Ferguson would attack and try to kill Bea!"

"No, no of course not…" Vera remarked sarcastically.

"No, I, no, when Allie attacked Kaz and then Ferguson tried to strangle Bea, it just…it just all happened so fast, I ran, I couldn't…"

"Help? Try to stand up for the woman who saved your child from a burning building?"

Doreen brought her hands to her face, leaning forward in the chair as she remembered seeing Bea running out of the prison with Joshua.

"I'm sorry…I didn't… I didn't believe it would go that far…"

"You've been here long enough. What exactly did you think removing the position of top dog entailed? Talking over a cuppa in the laundry room?"

"I didn't…" Doreen struggled to speak as she continued to cry.

"This work no longer suits you, Anderson. I need someone in this position who can deal with and help all women, regardless of their affiliations. You're up for parole soon, aren't you? Do you understand how this is going to look at your hearing?"

"No, please, Ms. Bennett, I don't…"

"It's Governor. And I would advise you to tread lightly from here on out. One more mistake, Anderson, and you'll have something bigger to complain about than your conjugal visits."

Vera motioned for Jake who had been standing outside the door to come back in. He entered the office and waited for Doreen to get up to leave. Vera gestured with her hand for Doreen to leave, as if swatting her away, as the crying woman stood and headed out of the office, as Jake closed the door behind her. Vera sat back in her chair, spinning to face the computer. She minimized the image of the group of women, leaving only a recording program open. Vera stopped the recording and began to play it back, smiling as she had finally acquired information implicating Ferguson and Kaz in the attempt on Bea's life.

…

Bea pulled the plastic bag over her arm, binding it at the end of her cast with a hair tie. She moved her arm around a bit to ensure the bag wouldn't come loose. Bea turned the water on and grabbed her toiletries bag, bringing it up to her mouth to pull the zipper and open it, promptly dropping it as it slipped from her hand. She did her best to crouch down and pick it up as she winced from the pain in her legs. As she rose back up, her eyes met Allie's in the next shower stall, surprising her and making her drop the toiletries bag again. Allie smiled and peeked over the stall to see that Bea's shampoo and soap had fallen out of the bag.

"You look like you could use some help," smiled Allie.

"I'm okay, thanks," Bea laughed.

Allie walked out of the shower stall and pulled back the curtain on Bea's, stepping into the shower with her and pulling the curtain back before squatting down to pick up the shampoo and soap. Once she picked them up she slowly rose from the floor, intent on taking in every inch of Bea's body on her way up, noticing the cuts on her left thigh. She threw the soap in the bag on her way up but held onto the shampoo.

"Talk about déjà vu, huh?" Allie winked as her eyes finally met Bea's.

"Mmm," Bea looked away as if lost in thought. "I think last time you were going in the other direction."

"I go up, I go down, I go all around…" whispered Allie as she came closer to Bea.

"Allie, you're getting your clothes wet," Bea laughed as she lightly pushed Allie back.

"Wouldn't be the first time I got wet because of you…"

Allie wrapped her arms around Bea as Bea turned her head upwards to kiss Allie, placing her hands on Allie's neck. Suddenly, Allie began to massage Bea's head, an action that made Bea struggle to continue kissing her as she realized Allie was shampooing her hair and was unable to contain her laughter.

"What's so funny? I told you I wanted to help you," Allie smiled as she stopped kissing Bea and dropped the shampoo bottle back on the floor.

"My mistake…Guess I'm just used to different shower conduct from you."

"Oh you think about that too, do ya? Well then, let's switch things up this time around…"

Allie spun Bea around, pulling her in and continuing to work her fingers through her hair. Bea dropped her head forward, as the massage became at the same time both too relaxing and too rousing for her to handle. After Allie rinsed Bea's hair, she knelt down again to pick up the bag and take out the bar of soap, wetting it before bringing it to the back of Bea's neck and rubbing it all over her back, over and under her arms and hands. As Allie reached around to wash Bea's stomach, her hand travelled slowly up Bea's abdomen, stopping just beneath her breasts.

"Is this okay…" Allie whispered in Bea's ear before she softly bit her earlobe.

"Yeah…" she barely managed to say, her eyelids fluttering, her mind in a complete fog.

Allie pressed Bea's body back into hers, as she ran her hand over Bea's left breast while she ran the bar of soap over her right, meeting at the valley between her breasts to switch the soap to her left hand and continued to stimulate Bea with her right hand. Their breathing became shallow, as Allie let go of the bar and began massaging her breasts with both hands, tracing over and pinching her nipples, running her tongue up Bea's neck before kissing it, a stimulation that caused Bea to push back into Allie and squirm, making Allie push forward and move against Bea. As Allie lowered her right hand down Bea's abdomen, Bea's eyes shot wide open as she realized what was happening and quickly moved away from Allie, turning to face her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…I'm so sorry, I know…it's…it's too soon, I know, I'm so sorry," Allie stammered, out of breath and full of concern.

"No, no, no, no," Bea smiled, placing her hands on Allie's face and bringing her in for a kiss. "I just…I don't want for it…I don't want for it to happen here, that's all, I swear, I want to but I just…I don't want my first time with you to be here.. It…It means so much more to me than that."

Allie exhaled, a smile popping up on her face, full of relief.

"Oh! No, I know, I just…Got carried away, I'm sorry…."

"No, it's okay, I want you to…I really want to, I really, _really_ want you, I just…"

"No, no, no, no I totally understand," Allie laughed. "Okay, well then…" Allie looked around the floor to pick up the bar of soap and hold it up to Bea. "I… guess you should take care of all areas down under."

"Thank you," Bea laughed as she took the soap from Allie.

"Well, uh, I guess I'll be on my way then," Allie said as she pointed her thumb behind her and turned to leave.

"Allie…"

Allie turned back around as Bea grasped her neck and kissed her, their tongues clashing as both women clung onto each other, breathed into one another, as if they would never see each other again. Bea pulled away from Allie, both women beaming with joy. Allie cleared her throat.

"Well, there goes my mind for the day…"

"I'm sure your imagination can help you out at night."

Allie laughed as she brought Bea in for a hug. When they separated, Bea pulled at Allie's shirt, the wet fabric sticking to her skin.

"Better go get out of those clothes," Bea remarked, unable to look away from Allie's chest.

"Gee, thanks for the advice…" Allie turned to leave the shower stall. "Maybe I should just wait for you to help me out of them later…"

Allie smirked at Bea as she walked out of the bathroom, her shoes squeaking with every step. Bea's face glowed as she watched Allie leave, unable to contain her smile or her happiness.


	8. Chapter 8: Unsteady

"Okay, so…that's a total of…let's see, carry the one…three places…"

Bea laughed as she moved closer on her bed to lean on Allie and read her sad list, amused that she felt compelled to write it. Bea gave her a small kiss on the cheek.

"Make it two," Bea objected, pointing towards the list. "There's no way I'd do anything with you in H3."

"Uhmm, I think your memory might be fading," Allie nudged Bea.

"Okay, that was a one-time deal. I'm not about to have Kaz shiv me when she gets out of the slot and finds me in your bed."

"Shit…" Allie groaned as she crossed out her room on the sheet of paper. "So… that just leaves the equipment room and your room as the sole locations for us to…You know…It just occurred to me that we're in your room already so…"

Allie threw the notebook on the floor and wrapped her arm around Bea, using her other hand to turn Bea's face and meet her lips. Bea placed her hand on Allie's thigh, as Allie slid her hand down to Bea's breast, massaging it through her shirt. Just then, the door to Bea's room opened. At the sound of the door opening, Bea looked up at the ceiling, while Allie buried her face in Bea's shoulder.

"For fuck's sake…" they muttered at the same time.

Allie moved away from Bea and leaned back against the wall as Bea lowered her head to look at the door.

"So's this why you've been such a shitty top dog lately? Too busy lezzing out with this one?" protested Doreen.

As Allie moved to stand, Bea grabbed her shoulder and held her back. Bea glared at Doreen, unwilling to respond to her.

"I need a word with you," demanded Doreen. "I lost my position as peer worker because of you."

"That's a shame. You can go now," replied Bea, completely uninterested in hearing another complaint from Doreen.

"Bea, look, I…"

"I said get out," Bea yelled.

"You think I'm getting played by Kaz, meanwhile you're in here getting fucked by her right hand!" shot back Doreen.

Bea jumped up from the bed and stormed towards Doreen. Right when Bea was about to hit her, Sonia poked her head through the doorway.

"Excuse me, ladies, these walls are incredibly thin, and I'm trying to rest, so if you could please keep it down, I would truly appreciate it."

Bea stopped in her tracks and looked at Sonia, who raised her eyebrows in her direction. Having developed respect for her after what Sonia had done, Bea wanted to listen to her. She turned back towards Doreen.

"Get out, _now_."

Doreen turned and stormed out of the room in anger. Sonia beamed in the direction of Bea and Allie as she shut the door. She followed and stopped Doreen as she was about to exit the cellblock.

"Doreen, a word…"

Doreen turned to face Sonia, who slapped her across the face with her right hand, her sharp nails raking the woman's skin. Doreen raised her hand to her cheek, her face full of shock.

"You may not appreciate Beatrice, but I will be damned if you do not respect her. If you ever speak to her that way again, you will have to answer to me, do you understand?"

Doreen was shaking, completely baffled at what had just occurred, as she began to bleed from the scratches on her face.

"Do you fucking understand me?" Sonia sternly asked.

Doreen simply nodded, unable to make a sound. Sonia grinned and nodded in return.

"Of course you do. Run along now," Sonia ordered as she motioned for Doreen to go, who then rushed out of the cellblock.

Sonia spun on her heels as she saw Bea and Allie, standing in the doorway of Bea's room, both staring at her in confusion.

"Had to be done," Sonia smiled, as she composed herself and returned to her room.

Bea and Allie turned to look at one another, neither entirely sure of what to say after what they had just witnessed, but both beginning to laugh at the same time at the ridiculousness of the situation.

…

"Sonia, can I talk to you?"

Sonia stopped filing her nails as she looked up to see Bea standing in her doorway.

"Now who in their right mind would deny the top dog any request?"

Sonia set the nail file down, as she patted the bed, inviting Bea to sit next to her. Bea shut the door behind her as she stepped inside and sat to the right of Sonia. As Bea opened her mouth to speak, Sonia interrupted her.

"How are you, dear?" Sonia asked, as she analyzed Bea's hand, her cast having been removed and now allowing her fresh scars to be visible.

"I'm fine, thank you…I wanted to talk to you about what happened in the laundry room."

"Oh well I do hope you're not here to, as you girls say, bash me for pressing the distress signal?" Sonia smirked.

"No, no, no of course not…I just wanted to thank you…You…You had no reason to stand up for me like that and…"

Sonia gently took Bea's burnt hand in her own, surprising Bea as she looked down at Sonia's hands covering hers.

"On the contrary, dear Beatrice," Sonia began. "I saw an injured woman in tremendous peril, and I was not about to abandon you in your time of need like the rest of those women did."

Bea looked away from Sonia as she bobbed her head, recalling how out of a group of over twenty women, the only ones to try to help her were Allie, Liz, and Sonia. Everyone else was fine with Kaz pushing her face into the steam press. No one else had an issue with Ferguson choking the life out of her. Unused to having a stranger come to her defense, Bea couldn't help but wonder if Sonia had ulterior motives.

"Well…Unfortunately for me, they all seemed to have turned their backs on me," Bea forced a laugh, the sadness she felt from this realization visible in her eyes.

"Fortunately for you, dear, you had Alison there to help," Sonia smiled as she ran her thumb up and down Bea's hand. "…Who seems to have developed quite a bit of fondness for you."

A smile appeared on Bea's face, the mere mention of Allie capable of warming her inside.

"Also, fortunately for you," Sonia let go of Bea's hand and reached under the mattress, pulling out a small notebook. "I made note of all those women who dared to enter the laundry room under the guise of civil politics."

Sonia opened the notebook, tore out a page, and handed it to Bea, whose astonishment became evident as she realized Sonia had listed twenty-three women by first and last name.

"How…How…" Bea stuttered, unable to formulate her question.

"That list is yours to keep. Should you need ideas for how to retaliate, I'd be more than delighted to brainstorm with you."

"Sonia, I… This is…I mean, I barely know half these women's first names, let alone their last."

"It's important to get to know those around you, Beatrice."

Sonia rose from the bed and made her way to her shelf, picking up a tiny jar of cream and turning back towards Bea.

"You never know who could be an ally," Sonia began as she handed the jar to Bea. "And you certainly never want to overlook an enemy."

Sonia handed the jar to Bea, who hesitated to take it.

"For your burns. Greatest healing and restorative properties of any product currently on the market, legal or otherwise," Sonia smiled.

Bea reached out for the cream, taking it from Sonia with her burnt hand.

…

Allie lifted a stack of three pots onto the top shelf, barely able to reach. She dusted her hands off, then began to undo her apron and remove it. As she folded it, she looked around the equipment room, unable to contain her smile as she remembered the list she made with Bea, who would arrive any minute now. Allie exited the equipment room and was taken by surprise when she saw Kaz, Doreen, and four other members of her former crew in the kitchen. Allie wasn't used to the crew staying behind this late after their kitchen duty, but she didn't expect Kaz to be out of the slot, and she especially didn't expect to see Doreen with her. Kaz glared at Allie, who couldn't help but feel a bit of sadness as she failed to say anything.

"So are the rumors true? Are you fucking Smith?" Kaz asked, in a manner that let Allie know she already knew the answer.

Allie inhaled and exhaled deeply, as she glanced at Doreen and each of the crewmembers. All she could do was shrug.

"Answer me, Allie."

"You know the answer, Kaz."

"How could you betray me like that?"

"Kaz, that was the last thing I wanted to do but…"

"Bullshit! You're such a fucking idiot. She's using you to get to me, and you fucking let her."

"Okay well, great, I didn't expect nor did I need your approval, so if you'll excuse me…"

Allie turned to leave but was grabbed by two of Kaz's crew and dragged into the equipment room.

"Let go of me!" Allie screamed.

The women threw Allie into the shelves with a force that caused some of the pots and pans to topple over onto the floor. They then grabbed Allie from each arm, holding her down as she wrestled to break free. Kaz approached her, gripping her face with her right hand.

"You betrayed me, Allie. And not for just anyone, but for Bea fucking Smith, the fucker who shopped you."

"Kaz, it wasn't Bea…"

"Allie, she's playing you. She wants to get to Kaz through you. I was there when Bea made the call. She was upset with what you all had been doing to Jackson and thought that would be the only way to…" lied Doreen.

"Oh fuck off, Doreen, you know that's not true. You're just pissed about your peer worker position," Allie interjected.

"Why won't you believe us? We're trying to help you!" Kaz yelled as she gripped Allie's face tighter.

"No, you're trying to get me away from Bea, and while the Freak is out, I'm guessing you're taking advice from this imbecile now," Allie looked at Doreen.

"She's using you. You're nothing but a fucking starved whore to her!"

"Shut up, Kaz!"

"Wake up, Allie!"

"Let go of me!"

Kaz released her hold on Allie's face and shook her head at her crewmembers. She stepped out of the way as the two women holding Allie threw her down to the floor. Allie rushed to stand back up, but one woman threw herself on top of Allie and pressed her head into the floor, the other held down her legs, another grabbed her left arm, and the last woman grabbed her right arm. Doreen took a short rope that had been crafted out of a sheet out of her pocket and proceeded to fashion a tourniquet out of it on Allie's arm, as Allie screamed and fought to break free. Kaz reached into her pocket and pulled out a needle, bringing it up to her face and flicking it before crouching down next to Allie.

"You won't believe me about Bea Smith…So I have no choice but to show you how that woman doesn't give a single fuck about you."

Kaz crouched down next to Allie and stroked her hair. Allie continued to struggle but was unable to overpower the four women forcing her down on the floor and holding her arm out.

"I'm sorry, Allie," Kaz whispered as she traced Allie's forearm with her fingers.

"Kaz, please, don't do this, please stop!" Allie implored.

Kaz brought the needle down to Allie's forearm, pricking her skin as she pushed on the head of the needle to allow the liquid to seep into her veins. Once Kaz emptied the needle, she ripped off the tourniquet and stood back up, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. As the drug travelled through Allie's veins, a calming peace overcame her, and she no longer struggled to break free.

…

Bea entered the kitchen, the biggest smile on her face. She strolled past the stoves and searched the area for Allie. Suddenly she heard a noise from the equipment room. Her eyes lit up as she headed for the equipment room and opened the door.

Allie had her back to her and was trying to pull herself up to stand using the counter, failing to do so and falling back down. She began to cackle as she rolled over to look at Bea, who stood horrified at the sight before her.

"Bea!" Allie called out. "You finally made it! I missed you so much!"

Allie reached out to grab Bea's leg. Bea stepped back, as Allie's hand continued to grasp at nothing, as Bea's leg was no longer within her reach. Bea looked around the room, pots and pans scattered, a needle on the floor. Bea walked inside and closed the door behind her, stepping over Allie to pick up the needle and the rope, as tears of grief and anger began to form in her eyes. Allie rolled back over and gripped Bea's leg and began to pull it.

"Come on, Bea, I'm ready, are you ready?" Allie yelled, as she tugged Bea, trying to get Bea to join her on the floor.

Bea pulled her leg away from Allie and looked down at the girl, who was completely dazed and unable to look at anything properly, the smile on her face empty and nothing like the one Bea had come to know and adore, the usual shine in her look now absent from her eyes. Tears escaped from Bea's eyes as she struggled to understand why Allie had succumbed when everything seemed to be going so well for the two of them. She couldn't speak, she didn't know what to say. Bea wrapped the needle in the rope and put it in her pocket, proceeding to rub her nose with the back of her hand. Allie struggled to sit up, and upon finally doing so, she grabbed Bea's legs and hugged her as she closed her eyes and dropped her head forward.

"I love you," Allie slurred.

Bea reached down, taking Allie's hands in her own and breaking the hold she had on her, before letting Allie fall to the floor as she walked out of the room.


	9. Chapter 9: We're All Scared

Bea leaned against the door to the equipment room and banged her head against it, proceeding to massage her face and wipe away her tears. She covered her ears, failing to drown out the sound of Allie's cries.

"Bea! Come back! Bea! Please don't leave me!"

Bea heard a loud crash from the equipment room, the sound of Allie accidentally knocking over a shelf in her current delirious state. Bea ran her fingers through her hair as her eyes surveyed the kitchen. She ran over to the cabinets and began scouring them all until she found a pitcher and a clean dishrag. Bea rushed to the sink and began filling the pitcher with water, then proceeded to soak the dishrag. She carried both items back to the equipment room, opening the door and kicking it closed it behind her. Allie had brought down an entire shelf, and pots, pans, bowls, mixers, ladles, and tongs were now scattered all over the floor. Allie was lying on the floor on her back, her hands covering her eyes, which she lowered when she heard the door close. Her eyes lit up at the sight of Bea.

"Bea, you came back! Come, come, come, sit! Please stay with me!"

Allie patted the floor next to her. As angry as Bea was, she was filled with grief at the sight of Allie. She stepped over Allie, kicked aside pots and pans, and placed the pitcher down on the floor, the dishrag on the counter. Bea crouched down and hooked her arms underneath Allie's, pulling her up off the floor, as Allie began to half laugh and half cry as she hugged Bea. Bea pushed her against the counter, boosting her so she ended up sitting on top of it. Bea kept her hand on Allie's knee as she bent down to pick up the pitcher of water. She sat next to Allie on the counter and placed her hand on the back of Allie's head, as she raised the pitcher and made Allie drink the water. When she was no longer capable of swallowing anymore, she began to cough and pushed the pitcher away. Bea set it down next to her, now picking up the dishrag and using it to gently wipe Allie's face. She then took Allie's face in her hands and forced her to look at her, pressing the wet dishrag against her cheek.

"Allie, Allie, Allie, look at me. Allie, why would you do this?" Bea cried. "I thought we were… Why, Allie? Why now? Why this? Did I do something to you? I'm sorry, Allie, I'm so sorry."

Allie transitioned between laughing and crying, as the only other thing she could do was shake her head. Bea's soft voice transitioned into a harsh tone, as she demanded to know the answer to another question.

"Who the fuck gave you the gear?" Bea asked, anger emanating from each word she uttered.

Allie pulled Bea's hands off her face and leaned forward, almost falling over, before being caught by Bea, who gently pushed her to slide back against the wall.

"Allie, who gave you the gear?" Bea asked, trying to hold Allie's head up.

Allie shook her head.

"I didn't…I didn't want it," she muttered as she began to nod off, her eyes opening and closing as if she was about to fall asleep.

"Where did you…"

"Kaz…" Allie began to laugh again. " _Fucking Kaz._ "

"What? No, Allie, I'm asking who gave you the drugs?"

"Why are you so beautiful…" Allie asked as if she was about to burst into tears.

Bea turned to reach for the pitcher of water, bringing it back up to Allie's mouth and making her drink as much as possible. After pushing the pitcher away again, she stared at Bea, her smile slowly fading as she turned her eyes towards the door. As Bea turned to set the pitcher back down, Allie leapt off of the counter and collapsed on the floor as she began to vomit. Bea dropped the pitcher of water and slid off the counter, kneeling next to Allie as she grabbed her hair and held it back as she continued to vomit. Bea rubbed her back, the heartbreaking sight of Allie making her build up both tears and rage. When Allie finished vomiting and began to cough, Bea helped her sit back up, as she stood up and moved behind Allie, hooking her arms underneath Allie's arms once again and pulling her away from the vomit. Bea rested her against a wall on the opposite end of the room. She walked back to grab the dishrag and sat down next to Allie, who no longer showed any emotion, her empty, bloodshot eyes staring blankly ahead. Bea cleaned the vomit off of Allie's mouth, before Allie let herself fall over into Bea's lap. Bea pushed the loose strands of hair away from Allie's face and began to stroke her hair as Allie closed her eyes.

…

Vera rose from her chair as Channing stormed into her office, slamming the door shut behind him, then approaching the desk and planting his fists on it as he glared at Vera.

"What the fuck is going on here, Vera?"

"I'm sorry?"

Channing walked around the desk, as Vera stepped aside as he began to use her computer. He pulled up a webpage then stepped back to point towards the monitor.

"What the fuck is this?" Channing asked.

Vera leaned forward to read what was on the screen, an article titled "The Prison Within: The Inhumane Negligence in Wentworth Correctional Centre." Vera quickly read through the article, which highlighted the refusal of the correctional facility to protect the inmates, focusing on the recent attack on Joan Ferguson. The article reported that instead of helping Ferguson, she had been forced into solitary confinement in order to hide the ineptitude of the officers as well as the administration. Vera became appalled as she continued to scroll through the article and saw pictures of Ferguson, her scorched arm and bleeding red eyes the foci of the photographs. Vera stepped back, completely dumbfounded by how there could be photos of Ferguson's burned arm and bleeding eyes when she had been taken to the hospital immediately following the incident.

"We've been taking shit for this since it came out, and there's a call to demand an internal investigation of the prison, Vera. How the fuck could you let something like this happen and not tell me? Who attacked Ferguson?"

"There was an altercation in the laundry room, yes, but Ferguson was not the victim. Along with Karen Proctor, she made an attempt on Bea Smith's life."

"Fuck, Vera…"

Channing let out a deep breath as he rubbed his forehead and walked back around the desk, placing his hands on the chair in front of him.

"So Smith did it then?"

"I'm not sure…"

"How could you not know?" Channing yelled.

Vera's eyes shifted, as she found it hard to imagine that anyone other than Bea would be capable of forcing Ferguson into the steam press, but then recalling that Allie was the only one left standing in the laundry room. Now familiar with the extent of her relationship with Bea, Vera began to further consider Allie as Ferguson's attacker. Regardless, to Vera, what had happened to Ferguson didn't matter, as she had always been more concerned about what had actually happened to Bea.

"Whatever happened to Ferguson was the result of self-defense…"

"Is Ferguson really in the slot?"

"She's in the protection unit."

"For fuck's sake, Vera, how could you not inform me of what was happening here? You get her back into general population immediately."

"Are you hearing yourself? She's had her arm burned in a steam press and her eyes nearly gouged out. If she goes back…"

"Take that bitch out of her cage and let the rest of the pack finish her off already."

"Oh, so there can be even greater agitation?"

"So there won't be anymore of these fucking reports. If another article comes out about her still being isolated, they'll see we have something to hide and then we'll all be fucked. I'm not about to almost lose my job again over this bitch."

"Derek, I can't…"

"Do it!" ordered Channing.

Vera lowered her eyes. She began to nod, a resigned look on her face as she realized she had no choice but to release Ferguson. Channing pushed the chair and headed for the door, turning to Vera as he reached for the handle.

"And you better find out who took those photos and who contacted that fucking reporter. Go through as many call records as it takes, I don't give a shit how long it takes. I want a name, and I want that fucking camera."

Channing left the office, leaving the door open. He nodded once in Jake's direction as he passed by him on his way out. Jake walked up to the doorway of the office and watched Vera begin to massage her face, shaken up as she began to think that no matter what, she would have to call in a coroner in the near future.

…

Allie sat alone on a bench in the courtyard, her knees pulled up to her chest, her arms crossed on top, her face buried in them. Images flooded her mind of what had been done to her by Kaz and her former crew, the people she called her family. As she replayed the event in her mind, she failed to notice Tina and two members of her crew approach her, the two women sitting down on either side of her as Tina stood in front of her.

"Novak, I've been told you could use a fix," Tina smiled.

Allie lifted her head to look at Tina, who was moving her left hand inside her pocket.

"Piss off, Tina," Allie responded as she stood up from the bench.

"Hey, hey now, I just want to help you," Tina replied, stepping in front of Allie and keeping her from leaving.

The two other women rose from the bench as well, one of them placing her hand on Allie's back.

"If you can't afford it, I'm more than happy to discuss other methods of payment…" she grinned.

Allie pushed the woman away, who became angry and pushed Allie back, as the other woman tripped Allie and made her fall to the ground. As the two women began to kick Allie in her stomach and her back as they laughed, Kaz and two members of her crew rushed over and pulled the women back, beginning to beat them as Kaz grabbed Tina and pulled her back by her hair.

"You come anywhere near her again and I'll gut you, you hear me?"

Kaz yanked Tina's hair one last time before shoving her away, the other women leaving with her. Kaz held her hand out to Allie, who refused to take it as she stood back up on her own. Kaz motioned for her crew to go, leaving her alone with Allie.

"Allie, I'm so sorry…"

"Fuck off, Kaz," replied Allie as she sat back down on the bench.

Kaz sat down next to Allie and sighed, knowing it would take some time for Allie to realize that what she had done had been for her own good. Kaz wanted to open her eyes to who Bea Smith truly was, a woman who was only using her and would leave her the second Allie slipped up. Everyone knew of Bea's anti-drug stance, she knew the effect it would have on her to see Allie under the influence, and she knew this was the only way to remove her dearest friend from the hold Bea had on her.

"What'd she do when she found you?" Kaz asked, longing to know the answer.

Allie stared at the gate to H block, hoping Bea would come out into the yard at any moment.

"She didn't help you, did she?" Kaz guessed, knowing that Bea would be unable to forgive Allie for falling into the habit that took her daughter away.

Tears began to well in Allie's eyes, but she wiped them away, reluctant to cry in front of Kaz. Regardless, Kaz noticed how broken Allie was and faced forward again.

"That fucking bitch…" Kaz uttered. "You crossed me to protect her and look how she repays you… Allie, how could you let yourself get played by her like that? You knew damn well she wasn't into women. How could that not make you question her motives at all?"

Allie began to chuckle as she brought her hands to cover her face, not because of amusement but out of hysteria. She began to question Kaz's judgment and sanity. As Allie understood, Kaz knew Bea would ditch her the minute she started using drugs again, but she wouldn't have used drugs had Kaz not forced them into her veins. So by that logic, Bea never would have left her had Kaz not drugged her, something Kaz seemed to overlook when defending her twisted deed. As much as Kaz wanted to believe she had done Allie a favor, Allie could only see her decision as retribution for having betrayed her in the first place. Allie had always expected some kind of retaliation for the new allegiance she pledged through her own actions in the laundry room, but never could she have imagined Kaz would have done something so inhumane to someone she supposedly loved and cared about.

As Allie lowered her hands from her face again, she saw Bea walk in through the gate by herself, heading towards the table where Maxine, Liz, Boomer, and Sonia sat. Allie sprang from the bench and ran towards Bea, grabbing her arm to stop her. Maxine, Liz, Boomer, and Sonia all turned to watch them, as did many of the other women in the yard, too interested in the scene that was about to unfold before them. Rumors had been spread about what happened in the laundry room. Rumors had been spread about what happened in the equipment room. Now everyone was intent on getting to firsthand experience the newest rumor that was about to be circulated. Kaz stood up and slowly began to saunter towards Bea and Allie.

"Can I please talk to you?" Allie begged.

Bea jerked her arm out of Allie's hand.

"You stay the fuck away from me." Bea gritted her teeth.

"Bea, I'm sorry, I don't know what happened, but I didn't want the gear, I swear."

"Guessing you were probably too hopped up to even remember."

Bea turned to leave but was once again stopped by Allie grabbing her right arm. This time, Bea didn't pull away, choosing only to glare at Allie as she continued to speak.

"No, it's not like that, I just…One minute I was in the equipment room…Then the next I was just… I can't remember what happened, but you know I'm not…"

"Just shut the fuck up!" Bea yelled. "I don't want to hear your bullshit anymore. I don't care. If you're going to shove crank in your veins, that's fine, I couldn't give less of a shit, but if you ever, _ever_ do it in front of me, the drugs won't be the reason you blackout, do you understand?"

Allie struggled to fight back her tears, as Bea grabbed her wrist and broke Allie's hold on her, swatting her arm away. As Bea turned to walk away from her, Jake approached the two of them.

"Smith… Governor wants to see you."

Bea nodded as she turned back towards Allie and ended up glaring at Kaz who now stood behind her. Jake walked Bea out of the yard, taking her towards the governor's office. As the rest of the women in the yard began to discuss what they had just seen, Sonia's eyes remained fixed on Allie, as Kaz turned her around, kissed her on the cheek, and hugged her as Allie broke down crying.

…

"You're fucking kidding me," muttered Bea in complete disbelief.

"No, I'm not. Ferguson will be released into general population once again," responded Vera.

Bea turned up towards the ceiling, covering her eyes with her hands as she leaned back in the chair in Vera's office. Vera leaned against her desk with her arms crossed, as she gave Bea a minute to process the news. She walked back around her desk and opened the webpage of the article regarding the supposed attack on Ferguson.

"You need to read something."

Bea faced forward again, seeing Vera gesturing towards her chair.

"Seriously?"

"I'm sure you'll find it a bit more comfortable than your current throne."

Bea sighed, as she stood up and walked around the desk to sit in Vera's chair. She spun in it to turn and face the screen.

"The prison within…" Bea scoffed as she read the title out loud.

Bea started reading the article, as Vera gauged her reactions.

"What the… This is a joke right?" Bea asked as she continued reading.

Bea scrolled down the page, becoming visibly disturbed at the sight of Ferguson's photos.

"Who wrote… What the fuck? Ferguson wasn't the victim here."

Bea turned to look at Vera who simply raised her eyebrows.

"Unfortunately, the journalist is incredibly influential, and it is this article that led to Ferguson being released back into general. So, given that you will ultimately cross paths again, I suggest you reconsider your stance on not discussing the events that took place in the laundry room."

Bea turned to look back at the pictures of Ferguson, this being the first time she truly understood the level of damage Sonia had inflicted. Ferguson's arm was nothing but a reddened, blackened, blistered limb that was only held together by patches of flesh, as most of her skin had been seared. Her eyes were as red as the blood that had streamed out of them, clearly in pain just from having them open as she stared into the camera, her piercing gaze akin to that of a woman possessed. The article stated that Ferguson had been the victim of violence at the hands of a group of women intent on killing her, and that in lieu of protecting Ferguson, the officers ignored her cries for help. Bea wanted to tell Vera that the article was obviously untrue, but she couldn't speak about what truly happened without compromising Sonia.

"Smith, when Ferguson goes to trial, she will undoubtedly use this in her case, and I wouldn't be surprised if she names you as the ringleader of the attack. Now is your chance to get ahead of her and be prepared for any false allegations, as well as help this facility divulge the truth. She tried to choke you, so that obviously means her arm was still fine up to that point. What happened after…"

"How do you know that?" Bea asked, rising from the chair. "Who have you been talking to? Who told you that?"

"It doesn't matter, Smith! What matters is getting _your_ story straight before Ferguson can write it herself! Just tell me, who burned her arm and tried scratching her eyes out, you or Novak?"

Unable to make eye contact with Vera, Bea took a deep breath and simply shook her head, a little unsettled at the thought of the only possible culprits being Allie or herself since Sonia would always appear guiltless and harmless compared to the two of them. And now, Ferguson would be back, injured, but absolutely ready to strike with Kaz at her right hand yet again. Bea thought back to that day in the laundry room and recalled the list of women Sonia had made. She knew there was no way Ferguson could've assembled that group, it was all Kaz's doing. She knew the extent of the network Kaz had at her disposal outside of the prison, and she was positive that Kaz was behind taking the pictures and contacting the reporter. Kaz had an arsenal, an army behind her, but Ferguson was ultimately the puppetmaster, the manipulator, the controller, the role she triumphed in time and time again. To take down Ferguson, Bea would need to crush her support, eliminate her resources, and break her alliance with Kaz, the heart of which was the murderous hatred they shared for her. Bea needed to destroy that alliance, which had to begin with clearing her own name with the woman who nearly killed her.

"You need to get me some information," Bea demanded, as she sat back down in Vera's chair.

…

Allie trudged down the hallway as she stared down at the floor, her mind still occupied by the events that had transpired in the equipment room. She puzzled over what could drive Kaz, the woman who saved her from drugs in the first place, to commit such an atrocity. Kaz justified herself over and over again, claiming she did it to prove that Bea didn't give a fuck about her, but the only conclusion Allie could arrive at was that Kaz was the one who didn't care about her. It hadn't always been that way. Kaz was the one to take care of her in the past and give her a future, but that woman seemed to have disappeared the moment Bea came back into the prison. Allie ultimately realized that the hatred Kaz felt for Bea outweighed the love she once had for her.

While she could assume that Kaz finally figured out that something was going on between her and Bea, she struggled to think of how Kaz knew when the perfect moment to strike was, as she obviously knew Bea would be in the kitchen to witness the aftermath. Allie began to think of Doreen, a woman who had a child on the outside, and how she could possibly join in on the assault and be the one to ensure Kaz found her vein. Allie thought of her crew, the girls she had grown to call her sisters, and how they took no issue with holding her down and letting Kaz carry out her cruel act. All these people that Allie once believed to be the only ones who would ever protect her, stand up for her, were now nothing more than blind soldiers following their corrupted leader's orders, no matter how demented. Her mind raced back to the moment Kaz met Bea for the first time as a prisoner, recalling Kaz assert how dehumanizing the prison could be before spurning the idea of being any kind of victim. And now, Kaz herself had degenerated into nothing more than a merciless figurehead, the same type of leader she claimed to want to remove from the prison, controlled entirely by Ferguson. Her crew had become victims, Doreen had become a victim, and Kaz had become a victim of the prison, of the system, of the circumstances, and as much as Allie wanted to absolve Kaz because of everything she had done for her, knowing that this was not the same woman who had walked into prison at her side, Allie could not forgive Kaz for victimizing her in the end.

Allie's memories faded in and out, but after forcing herself to stop thinking of the event itself, she began to focus on what happened afterwards, as she recalled Bea giving her water, holding her hair back as she threw up, and cradling her before she passed out. As horrifying as the entire ordeal had been, Allie couldn't help but smile as she remembered Bea holding her and running her fingers through her hair.

Allie was brought back to the present as she was yanked inside a cleaning supplies closet.

"I've been waiting in here so long I almost started cleaning…"

As Bea turned back around after shutting the door, Allie pushed her up against it and pressed her body into Bea's, as she pinned her wrists above her head and covered Bea's lips with her own. Bea needed to speak to Allie, but nowhere near as much as she needed to kiss her. Allie slid her hands down Bea's arms and the sides of her breasts, until she reached her waist and ran her hands underneath Bea's shirt. Allie was elated to feel the warmth of Bea's skin again, pushing her shirt up as her hands travelled up her abdomen, smoothly gliding underneath her bra to caress her breasts. Bea wrapped her arms around Allie and moaned into her mouth as her fingers electrified her entire body. Before her mind entered into a complete fog, Bea began trying to speak in between kisses, as she found it impossible to separate herself from Allie.

"I… I hope I… didn't… inti…intimidate you… too much…"

"Oh please, by… now you should… know how hot… you are when… threatening people…"

Allie placed her leg in between Bea's legs, slowly and softly beginning to push into her, as Bea gripped her hair and began to push down against Allie. Allie slid her tongue out of Bea's mouth, running it over Bea's bottom lip, along her jawline, down her neck, and across her collarbone. Bea swallowed hard as she closed her eyes, her breathing becoming shallower with each action, unsure if she could continue speaking.

"Allie… It's…It's just for a little while longer, okay?" Bea whispered, throwing her head back as Allie kissed and licked her neck. "Just while… while I figure out this… situation… I'm sorry… but… but you'll be safe and… and…"

Bea's disconnected train of thought was interrupted when Allie ran her tongue up her neck, before slipping it into her mouth and thrusting her leg into Bea as her manipulations of Bea's breasts intensified. Bea and Allie continued to kiss and caress one another, both women treasuring the little time they had left together, as Vera and Jake walked past the supplies closet, escorting Ferguson back to H3.


	10. Chapter 10: Symphony

Allie stared at her empty tray as she waited for Kaz to finish eating. She paid no attention to what the women at her table were saying, finding it difficult to continue interacting with them after what they had all done. Allie and Bea discussed what had happened in the equipment room, determining that what Kaz did to her would have only been the first strike had Kaz not gotten her expected outcome. As much as Bea wanted to retaliate against Kaz, Doreen, and the rest of her crew, they knew that if Bea dismissed Allie's relapse, Kaz would strike again, much harder, against either one of them, with Allie being the more vulnerable target. Bea knew that Kaz couldn't forgive Allie for her betrayal, and for now, Kaz was more interested in keeping her soldiers in line than she was in accepting that Allie had switched to the enemy side. There would have been more attacks against her for allying herself with Bea, especially when word had spread that she was the top dog's one and only weak point. So for now, they were both better off with everyone in the prison believing they could not even stand to be near each other after Allie's supposed relapse. Allie forced herself to keep her head down, knowing that for the time being, she was not a target as long as she remained at Kaz's side.  
Kaz finished her drink, grabbing Ferguson's tray and placing it on top of hers before sliding them both towards Allie. Allie finally looked up, only to have to look at Ferguson who sat across from her, her eyes still red, her eyelids still scratched, her arm in bandages following her recent skin graft. Despite her injuries, despite her weak physical health, Ferguson had never looked more menacing than she did now.

Kaz and Ferguson stood up from the table and walked out of the mess hall. Allie picked up the trays and glasses and headed towards the trashcans to clear them, forcing herself to avoid looking at the H1 table, the only table in the mess hall that still had people. Sonia watched her as she did so, observing her every step until she left the mess hall. She then turned to look at Bea, who stared down at her empty tray as she twirled her fork in her right hand. The only other woman remaining at the table was Maxine. Sonia turned to face her, meeting her eyes and gesturing with her head for her to leave. Maxine looked at Bea, before picking up her tray and leaving the table.  
"Beatrice?"  
Bea kept her head down but shifted her focus towards Sonia.  
"Are you all right?"  
"Yeah, yeah of course. Why?"  
"You seem… disoriented."  
Bea opened her mouth to speak but could only shake her head and shrug, as she turned back down towards her tray and continued to twirl her fork, oblivious to the fact that the mess hall had emptied.  
"It hurts you to not be able to look at her, doesn't it?" Sonia crossed her arms and leaned forward on the table.  
Bea dropped her fork as she turned her head up to look at Sonia.  
"What?"  
"It evidently hurts her as well, but it seems you two are going out of your way to avoid making eye contact."  
"I'm fine, Sonia, thanks."  
As Bea went to stand, Sonia placed her hand on her wrist, leaning in to speak softly, even though they were the only women remaining in the mess hall.  
"You would never have abandoned her after everything she's done for and to you because of one mistake, which I refuse to believe was her own doing given how she'd sooner cut her arm off than disappoint you. If you're so concerned about her safety you're willing to keep her under the enemy's wing, you should be aware that it won't be long before Karen or Joan figures out what you're truly up to, and I don't believe Karen will forgive another betrayal, especially with Joan as her adviser. One look between the two of you in their presence will inevitably give you away."  
Bea stared at Sonia, unsure of how to respond, perturbed by the woman's shrewdness.  
"You can't wait anymore. The only way to ensure her safety as well as yours is to strike first and to strike hard enough that neither of them can come back from it, do you understand me?"  
"Sonia… I'm not… I can't kill Kaz and Ferguson."  
Sonia looked down at Bea's tattoo, staring at it long enough to cause Bea to look down at it as well.  
"You would for her… Don't wait for revenge to become your motivation."  
Sonia smiled and squeezed Bea's wrist, letting go of it and picking up both their trays and then walking to the trashcans to clear them. Bea remained in her seat, too paralyzed to move, unable to do anything but watch Sonia walk out of the mess hall, as she began to run her thumb over her tattoo.  
…

"Come in, Smith," Vera requested, as Bea walked into her office.  
Bea sat down in the chair in front of Vera's desk, waiting for Vera to finish whatever she was writing before putting the pen down and finally looking up at her.  
"We didn't find the phone that took Ferguson's photos during the ramp," Vera admitted disappointedly.  
"Of course not. You should maybe reconsider your officers, Governor. Quite a few in here who maybe wouldn't have benefited from finding it."  
"On that note… I wanted to let you know that Officer Miles is returning to work today, therefore…"  
"Wow, you're just chock full of fantastic news today, aren't you? What's next? You didn't get me the information I asked you for?"  
"…No… However…"

Bea scoffed as she stood up from her chair and turned to leave, disappointed knowing that she would now have to try to find another approach to weaken Ferguson's alliance with Kaz. She walked towards the door, throwing it open before freezing in her tracks at the sight of Franky walking down the hallway. She was looking at her phone as she made her way towards the office, putting it in her pocket, then finally looking up at Bea, the sight of her making Franky stop in her tracks as well.  
"However… Someone else did," Vera finished, as she smiled and walked past Bea and out of her office.  
"Hey, Red," Franky called out as a smile came over her.

Bea smiled, her eyes tearing up at the sight of Franky's beaming grin. She ran towards her, throwing herself into her arms, as Franky slightly lifted Bea off her feet in their embrace. Bea began to cry, as she placed her hands on Franky's face, finding it impossible to believe that she was actually here. Franky laughed as she wiped away the tears from her eyes before pulling Bea in, kissing her forehead and hugging her again, neither of them wanting to let go.

When Franky finally broke away from her, she wrapped her arm around Bea's shoulder as she led her back into the governor's office. Franky closed the door behind them, as she let go of Bea to walk around the desk, dropping her laptop bag on it before plopping down in Vera's chair, placing her hands behind her head as she lifted her feet and rested them on the desk. Bea sat back down in the chair opposite Franky, pulling herself in closer, before resting her hands on the desk and leaning forward.  
"Meh, this chair isn't as comfortable as I thought it'd be," Franky stated as she took her feet off the desk and leaned towards Bea.  
"Franky, what… What are you doing here?" Bea asked, unable to contain her happiness.  
"Well, I heard you could use some help."  
Franky took Bea's hand in her own, as she pushed Bea's sleeve back to examine her burnt arm, the scars now showing signs of fading.  
"You all right?" Franky asked, turning her sad eyes up to Bea.  
"Yeah… I…" Bea paused and shook her head. "I had the piss beat out of me, Franky… I had my arm scorched in the steam press, and was almost choked to death by Ferguson and then by Kaz… Franky, it… It could have been the end for me," Bea swallowed hard, as she recalled the assault.  
"It could have," Franky added as she waited for Bea to be able to speak again.  
"But… But I had help," Bea nodded as she gripped Franky's hand, a small smile appearing on her distraught face, as thoughts of Allie flowed into her mind.  
"Maxie and Booms still serving their queen properly?"  
"Yeah," Bea laughed. "But they weren't there the day of the attack. Liz tried to help, but actually it's because of two newbies that I'm still here today."  
"Newbies? Who? What made them step up?"  
"Well one of them was Sonia Stevens. According to her she helped me simply because I was in danger. That was it. No ulterior motive."  
"Serious? The cosmetics lady? Isn't she like fifty?"  
"Yeah something like that. Guess that's why she was able to take down the Freak so easily."  
"I'll bet, cougars going at it. Now there's a movie I've watched once or twice," Franky chuckled. "Who is your other savior?"  
"…Allie. Allie Novak."

Bea couldn't help but smile at the thought of her, her eyes lighting up, something Franky immediately noticed.  
"Uh huh… And why did Allie Novak feel the need to help out Queen Bea?" Franky asked as she raised an eyebrow.

Bea softly giggled as she leaned back in her chair, looked around the room, and shrugged. Franky's eyes widened, her mouth agape.  
"No fucking way…"  
"Franky, I…"  
"No fucking way!" Franky laughed. "Looks like Queen Bea's found herself a princess!"  
"Shut up, it's not like that…"  
"Red, you're turning so fucking red right now! Fuck! I knew it! I fucking knew it!" Franky claimed, as she slammed her hand down on the desk. "Everyone always told me to back off 'cause you were into blokes, but I knew it! Your mouth said penis while your eyes said vagina!"

Bea burst out laughing as she brought her head down on the desk. Franky ruffled her hair as she continued laughing, enjoying this shy, embarrassed, enamored mess before her.

"Wait, wait I want to meet her! What does she look like?"

Bea raised her head back up as she opened her mouth to speak, shaking her head in the process.

"She's the most beautiful person I've ever known," Bea softly replied.  
"Holy fuck, Red, you're in deep," Franky laughed. "So what was it? The face? Ass? You always seemed like a boob kind of girl now that I think about it. What's she in for? Murder? Fucking fairy tale, I swear. "

Bea chuckled as she tried to formulate a thought, a sentence about Allie, never before having been able to discuss her with anyone.  
"…She… She's a member of Kaz's crew actually… Former right hand of the Red Right Hand's leader."  
"Oh fuck," Franky interrupted, the worry becoming evident in her eyes as she turned for a second towards her laptop bag.  
"Yeah, that was my mindset at the start of all this… Maxine actually was the one to suggest I get close to her to get info on Kaz but… I don't know… Just getting to know her, talking to her, being with her… It felt right. I've… Never in my life have I felt safer than when I'm with her."  
"Red… Jesus fucking Christ, Red, you are smitten."  
Bea looked down at the desk, as she began to slowly nod, her eyes sparkling.  
"She makes… She makes everything okay… She makes all of this okay, you know?"

Franky smiled, nodding as she observed Bea, a peace, a hope in her look and in her voice that Franky had never before witnessed. Franky suddenly reached for Vera's phone, picking it up and dialing 0.  
"Hello, secretary person, yes, we need Allie Novak to report to the governor's office immediately," Franky demanded laughingly as she stood up, trying to keep out of Bea's reach as she tried to stop her.  
"Franky! Franky! No! Franky! Stop!"  
"Yes! Yes, thank you, we will see her soon!" Franky grinned as she hung up the phone.  
"Franky…"  
"Look, Red, as fucking thrilled as I am to meet Princess Allie, she's also going to want that info you requested from Vera."

Bea nodded, realizing that the information was as important to her as it was to anyone, before smiling, as she couldn't help feeling happy that she would get to see Allie again.  
…

The door to Vera's office opened, as Allie stepped inside, a giant smile appearing on her face, her eyes twinkling when she saw Bea, before attempting to reel in her exhilaration when she noticed there was another person in the room. She turned to close the door behind her as she walked up and stood as close as possible to Bea, quietly greeting her before turning to Franky.  
"Fuck you, Red," Franky uttered, smiling, as she looked Allie up and down. "You don't half-ass anything, do ya?"

Amused and confused at the same time, Allie turned to look down at Bea, who could only rub her face as she tried to hold back her laughter. She stood up and kissed Allie on the cheek before wrapping her arms around her. Allie closed her eyes and nuzzled Bea's neck as she hugged her back with all her strength, not wanting to ever let go.  
"It's okay…" Bea remarked as she forced herself to pull away. "Allie, this is…"  
"I'm Franky Doyle, and it's a pleasure to meet you, princess," Franky laughed, sticking her hand out towards Allie.

Allie smirked, as she reached out to shake Franky's hand.  
"She's got good hands, Red… In case you hadn't figured that out yet…"  
"Oh believe me, she'd write a book about them if she could keep hers off me for five minutes," Allie winked at Bea.  
Bea and Franky laughed as Bea sat back down in the chair. Allie sat on the chair's armrest, wrapping her right arm around Bea, a simple act that made Franky grin from ear to ear.  
"So, how about we get down to business so you two lovebirds can get back to your nest?" Franky teased.  
"Allie, I asked the governor to find information on the person who shopped you and your crew, and Franky here…"  
"Franky here, former top dog, baddest legal bitch around, and your sister-in-law might I add, princess, heard about the request during dinner with the governor. So, I offered to pull out all the stops within my network to get this after hearing all the shit the Freaky Red Right Hand put this one through."

Franky unzipped her bag, pulling out her laptop and opening it, clicking away as she glanced up momentarily at the two women before her. Allie mouthed "are you okay?" to Bea, her right hand massaging Bea's shoulder. Bea smiled and nodded, as she brought her hand up to squeeze Allie's, taking it in hers and planting a small kiss on it, as her other hand stroked Allie's thigh. Franky smiled as she looked back down at the screen, before turning her computer towards Bea and Allie.  
"Ready?" Franky asked, before hitting the space bar.

The media player recording began. Franky sat back in her chair as she witnessed the shock overcome Bea and Allie simultaneously when they realized the voice they heard making the call to name Kaz as the leader of the Red Right Hand belonged to Ferguson.

"Fuck…" muttered Allie.  
"You're fucking kidding…" Bea remarked.  
"Nope. Seems like you two owe Joanie an invite to the wedding," Franky responded as she raised her eyebrows.  
"That fucking woman…" Bea muttered as she ran her hands over her face.  
"Kaz needs to hear this now," Allie said, as she rubbed Bea's back.  
"She know about you two?"  
Bea and Allie looked at each other before turning back to Franky and shaking their heads.  
"How the hell do you hide it from her?" Franky laughed. "You're so fucking obvious."

Franky took a USB stick out of her bag, pushing it into the laptop port as she copied the recording onto the device.  
"So who's gonna be the one to bring her in? Can't be you, Red, she has her guard up too much to come in willing to accept such a horrible truth from you. Blondie, you should pretend to not know anything about this, and be equally surprised when she finds out, so you're there to push her in the right direction away from Ferguson in case she doesn't respond as well as we'd hope."  
"Does the governor know?" Allie asked.  
"Not yet. I wanted Red to be the first to hear it, and to be completely honest, you're here because I really wanted to meet the puppy who stole the top dog's heart," Franky replied, as she pulled the USB stick out of her laptop and grinned at them.

Allie and Bea looked at each other, smiling, both women finding comfort in Franky's words, despite knowing that should anyone else find out, the bond between them could be irreparably broken.  
…

Bea and Miles remained quiet as Miles escorted Bea to the conjugal room to replace the bedding. Miles had finally returned to work following her suspension for leaving the laundry room prior to the attack, and this was the first time the two of them had been alone together since then. When they arrived at the conjugal room, Miles swiped her keycard then threw the door open and walked in, moving aside to let Bea pass through with the laundry cart. Miles began to help Bea replace the old sheets with the new ones, finally breaking the silence after looking at Bea's scarred arm as she threw the new sheet over the mattress.  
"Your burns seem to be healing well," Miles stated, immediately regretting speaking as Bea glared at her.  
"Yeah, you know, I had been hoping for a tan for a while," Bea replied coldly.  
"…Smith… I'm really sorry about what happened," Miles spoke, as she tucked the corner of the fitted sheet under the mattress.  
"You're just sorry they didn't finish the job," Bea responded without looking at her. "Let's be honest, Kaz and the Freak have greater incentives for you, don't they, Ms. Miles?"  
Miles rose up and looked at Bea, as she began to switch out the pillowcases.  
"I… That's not what happened, it wasn't… I knew Proctor was coming to talk to you and demand you remove the position of top dog, but I had no idea she was…"  
"Actually trying to kill me?" Bea interrupted. "No, no of course not."  
"Smith, I swear I didn't…"  
"Nah, you just happened to have talked enough with Kaz to convince you to leave your post for a political discussion even when you see the mob of women show up led by her and Ferguson. Sure, sure that checks out."  
"I didn't hear about it from Kaz. I heard it from Jake."  
Bea looked up at Miles as she let the pillow fall into the case, before dropping it on the bed.  
"What?"  
"Jake was the one who told me to step out for a bit while you all discussed the issue."  
"Screwart?" Bea asked in total disbelief. "You're kidding me… There's no way you thought that was just going to be a friendly political chat."  
"He…"  
Miles looked around the room, hesitant to finish her statement. Bea raised an eyebrow in her direction as she waited.  
"Fine… No I didn't completely believe it would be… amicable… but he… He invited me to go with him to the staffroom while you all… debated or whatever and… Smith, he's really hot, and… when you're surrounded by women all the time, you just…" Miles stopped, unsure of how to continue.  
"Fuck… For fuck's sake, Miles… So you're telling me… I almost died because you couldn't keep it in your pants until after work?"  
Miles exhaled deeply, unable to make eye contact with Bea.  
"I'm… I'm really sorry, Bea."

Bea scoffed at her, as she wondered if there were any competent officers remaining in the prison. As she smoothed out the wrinkles on the bed sheet and fluffed the pillows, Bea recalled her first interaction with Jake back in the gym and how he had let slide her attack on Juice. Miles received an incoming radio call to report to the staff room.  
"Oh, look at that. Hey, if you're lucky, you can go for round two with Mr. Stewart after your staff meeting, yeah?" Bea remarked scornfully.

Miles looked down at the floor again, guilt-ridden for the horrendous mistake she had committed.  
"We're done here," Bea said as she stood behind the laundry cart.

Miles could only nod, as she walked towards the door, opening it and walking back out into the hallway. Bea pushed the cart through then let go of it as she turned to reach for the door handle. Miles caught sight of Bea's scarred arm again, quickly forcing herself to look away and leave. As Bea was closing the door, she glared at Miles as she walked away, her eyes then immediately lighting up when she saw Allie turning the corner. Allie stopped in her tracks when she saw Bea, both of them cherishing the few seconds they had to gaze at each other before they would have to continue walking and pretend they couldn't even stand to look at one another. Allie looked down as she began walking again past Miles, keeping her head down but shifting her eyes to look at Bea again as she approached Bea. Bea looked away from Allie, looked behind her, and back towards the open door. She let go of the handle before turning her eyes towards Allie one last time, as she pulled the laundry cart back into the room. Allie continued down the hallway, spinning around as she walked by the door to ensure no one was around, before darting inside and shutting it behind her.

Bea pushed the laundry cart against the wall on the opposite end of the room, before turning to face Allie who leaned against the door, beaming with joy. Bea took a few steps towards Allie, before stopping and turning to look at the bed.

"So, uh, you can see I made the conjugal room real nice for ya," Bea smiled.

"You shouldn't have," Allie replied as she closed the gap between them.

Allie placed her hand on Bea's neck, pulling her in for a kiss. As they came into contact, they both dismissed all problems, all worries, all uncertainties they currently had, focusing only on the perfect pairing of their lips. Their kiss was soft, tender, gentle, as Allie stroked Bea's neck, as Bea stroked Allie's cheek, as their hearts began to race, as their desires began to grow, as they both realized they ached for more and were incapable of waiting any longer. Allie slipped her tongue past Bea's lips, who for a second sucked on it, using her own tongue to massage Allie's, before fully letting her into her mouth. Allie placed her hands on Bea's hips, pushing her shirt out of the way as she made contact with her skin, as Bea ran her fingers through Allie's hair, before resting her hands on her neck.

Allie backed Bea towards the bed, pulling both her shirts off in one motion before throwing them to the side as she let her hands run up Bea's sides, her ribcage, and the tops of her breasts. Bea broke away from Allie's lips to run her tongue down Allie's neck, as she placed her hands on Allie's waist for a second, before pushing her shirt up and off and tossing it to the side, their breasts now pressing against each other through the fabrics of their bras, each woman feeling the hardened nipples of the other. Bea reached around to unclasp Allie's bra, her nervous hands betraying her as she was unable to stop shaking and take it off. Noticing this, Allie reached back around, unclasping her own bra and dropping it to the floor, before taking Bea's hands in her own, looking her in the eyes as she brought Bea's right hand up to her mouth. She began to kiss and suck on her fingers, repeating the act with those of her left hand, before lowering Bea's hands and letting them rest on her breasts as she reached around and pulled Bea closer to her. Bea stood hypnotized, as she affectionately ran her fingers over Allie's breasts, tracing her nipples before beginning to knead them in her hands as Allie quivered at her touch. She forced herself to look away and look Allie in the eyes, before leaning in to kiss and suck Allie's neck, as she continued caressing her breasts. Allie smiled, throwing her head back to allow Bea the freedom to drag her tongue along her neck, as she unclasped Bea's bra, ripping it away. She gently pushed Bea down onto the bed, before falling on top of her and slipping her tongue back into Bea's mouth.

Bea ran her hands up and down Allie, trying to feel every last inch of her skin as their tongues clashed. Allie ran her hands up and down Bea's arms, before grabbing her hands and intertwining their fingers together as she held them above Bea's head. Allie slipped her tongue out of Bea's mouth, running it up and down her neck, pausing to lick and softly bite her earlobe, then dragged it back down her neck, her collarbone, and her shoulders before bringing it down to her chest. Allie let go of Bea's hands, as Bea immediately brought them down to hold Allie's head as Allie took her right breast into her mouth, kissing, biting, and sucking on her nipple. Bea groaned as she felt Allie's tongue flick across her nipple, hardening it, before she gently bit it. Allie began to massage her left breast with her right hand as her left hand helped stimulate the one in her mouth. Bea gasped from the act, her body trembling as she gripped the back of Allie's head as she sucked, licked, and kissed her right breast, before dragging her tongue across to her left breast, immediately kissing, licking, and sucking her nipple in the same manner, massaging her right breast with her left hand.

When Allie pulled away, disappointment hit Bea for half a second, before Allie placed both her hands on her breasts and kneaded them, as her mouth began leaving a trail of kisses down her torso. Allie bit at the waistband of Bea's pants, before pulling them down along with her panties to her ankles, at the same time kicking off her own shoes. Allie tore Bea's pants and panties off, facing a tiny obstacle as she stopped to pull Bea's socks and shoes off along with them, throwing everything around the room and ensuring nothing impeded her from continuing her exploration of Bea's body. Bea now lay completely naked beneath her. Allie forced herself away from Bea as she stared and admired the sight before her during the few seconds she used to catch her breath.  
As she stabilized her breathing, Allie slid down Bea on the bed, stopping when she reached her feet, dropping her head forwards and bringing her tongue along Bea's right shin and up to her thigh, as her other hand stroked her left leg as she travelled up her body. As Allie switched her focus to Bea's left leg, starting from her shin and rising up to her thigh once again, she stopped when she reached Bea's left thigh, focusing on the cuts that had accumulated. While continuing to stroke her other leg, Allie ran her fingers over Bea's cuts, before turning her eyes upwards to look at her. Bea felt Allie's fingers on her self-inflicted wounds, as she pushed herself up on her elbows, looking down at Allie as guilt and shame overcame her.

"I… I'm sorry…" Bea began, contrite at having Allie see the scars she had created herself. "I just… I didn't… I didn't know how else to… to numb…" Bea continued, her worry evident in her eyes.  
Allie gripped Bea's legs, as she licked her thigh, ensuring she looked directly into Bea's eyes as she kissed and ran her tongue over each cut. Bea sighed and threw her head back as Allie kissed her thighs and ran her fingers up and down her legs again, stroking her, teasing her, and kissing her all over, before bringing her face in between Bea's legs, breathing into her, then finally dragging her tongue across Bea's clit, smiling when she realized how wet the woman was.

Bea moaned deeply, letting herself fall back onto the bed and grabbing Allie's head as she continued her act, her heart pounding in her chest as her breathing quickened. Allie wrapped her arms around Bea's thighs, as Bea held her head, while Allie ran her tongue up and down and over Bea's clit, causing Bea to tremble with every stroke of her tongue. Bea was lost in her emotions, never before in her life having experienced this level of pleasure, arousal, or intimacy. Allie brought her hands in between Bea's legs, spreading her lips apart as she buried her tongue as far as she could inside of her. Bea squirmed beneath her, trying to get away from her, but Allie held tightly onto her, running her tongue up and down the woman, kissing and sucking every part of her, making sure she reached every centimeter of her being, cherishing the taste of the woman she had hungered for from the moment she laid eyes on her.

Bea finally opened her eyes to look down at the head she held between her legs, the bottom of Allie's face glistening as she gazed up into her eyes, her soul, letting her know there was no other place she would rather be. Unable to contain herself, Bea wrapped her legs around Allie, pulling her face into her and grinding against her, as Allie struggled to breathe, but refused to let go of Bea as she continued licking and kissing her.

As Bea's thrusts became more frantic, Allie dragged her tongue across her one last time before running her right hand up Bea's torso, pinching her nipple on the way up to Bea's face. She slid her right index, middle, and ring fingers into Bea's mouth as she moaned. Bea took one hand off of Allie's head to wrap it around Allie's hand, as she sucked and licked her fingers, her breathing becoming quicker and shallower, before Allie pulled them back out. She ran her hand back down Bea's breasts and abdomen before smoothly pushing her wet fingers inside of her.  
Bea cried out, not out of pain, but out of a pleasure previously unknown to her. Allie continued licking and sucking on her clit, as her right hand pushed in and out of the breathless woman, while her left hand helped her tongue continue stimulating her.

"A… Allie… Allie …Allie…"  
The sound of Bea barely being able to say her name only spurred Allie on as she became more emboldened with her movements. She glanced up at Bea, her chest rising and falling quickly, her mouth wide open as she struggled to breathe, her eyes shut tight. As Allie worked her fingers in and out of Bea, feeling her come close as her shallow breathing, her sighs, her moans, and her gasps became much louder and much more frequent, Allie slipped in one last finger, sending Bea over the edge as Allie pumped her hand in and out of Bea while sucking on and kissing her clit. Bea shot up, gripping Allie's head with her two hands, her mouth open but unable to make a sound, as her entire body shook from the orgasm that overcame her, seemingly never-ending as Allie continued sliding her tongue all over Bea, sliding her fingers in and out of her, until Bea could no longer take anymore and collapsed back on the bed as she let go of Allie. Allie slowly began to ease up on her stimulation, only stopping when Bea reached down and grabbed her by her wrists, pulling her up to lie on top of her as she wrapped her arms around her and tenderly kissed her.

"Are… Are you okay?" Allie asked in between kisses, swallowing hard, and finding it increasingly difficult to ignore the pounding aching she felt between her own legs as she lay on top of Bea.

"Never been… better… Thank…you," Bea responded.

As before, their soft, tender kiss soon turned into an ardent and impassioned act. Bea ran her hands down Allie's back, cherishing the feel of her warm, soft skin, before reaching the waistband of her pants. Bea rolled Allie over so she ended up on top of her, grasping her neck with her left hand as she pushed her pants and panties down with her right, lightly brushing over Allie and causing her to gasp as Bea's hand made contact with her. Bea's eyes shot up to Allie as she became aware of what she had done, as she raised her hand back up and stared at it for a second, realizing how wet Allie had made it without her even trying to. Allie gazed into Bea's eyes, before wrapping her arms around her and rolling them over again so Allie lay on top.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to," Allie whispered as she reached down and struggled to push her pants off, kicking her socks off as well.  
Allie brought herself back down on the woman, moaning as she fell right in between Bea's legs, coming into direct contact with her, hesitating to grind against her despite the throbbing aching she felt in between her own legs.

"I know…But I want to," Bea replied, as she brought her wet fingers up to her mouth and sucked on them.

Bea placed her hands on Allie's lower back, running them down until she gripped her thighs and pushed Allie up, so they sat with Allie now straddling her. Allie had her arms around Bea's neck, using it for support as she began to grind against Bea. Bea brought her hand down in between Allie's legs, causing Allie to scream and shake as Bea immediately began rubbing her warm clit, slowly at first then quicker and quicker as Allie thrusts became more forceful. Bea dropped her head forwards, taking Allie's left breast into her mouth as Allie held her hands around Bea's neck, gripping the woman's skin as Bea licked and sucked and bit her breast, tracing her tongue all over her nipple as her left hand kneaded her other breast, as her right hand continued to rub her clit.  
As Allie's movements became even more impassioned, Bea further lowered her hand, keeping her thumb on Allie's clit as she easily slid one, then two fingers inside of her. Allie screamed again, unable to contain the tremendous pleasure she felt as she began to bounce up and down on Bea's hand, as the woman continued to manipulate her breasts with her mouth and tongue.

"Bea… Bea… Bea… "

Allie rode her hand in a frenzy, trembling as Bea continued to suck on her breasts as she stared into her eyes. Allie wrapped her hands around Bea's neck, as she forced Bea to tear away from her and look up at her, moaning into her mouth as she rocked themselves back and forth, shaking uncontrollably as wave after wave of pleasure electrified her entire body as she sighed, gasped, moaned, and breathed into Bea's mouth. She finally went still, as her body relaxed, and she let herself collapse onto Bea, giving her one final kiss before resting her head on Bea's chest. Bea brought her hand up, pushing the loose strands of hair away from Allie's face and tucking them behind her ears.

"Are you okay?" Bea whispered, as she stroked Allie's hair.

Allie looked up at her, gazing into her eyes as she slowly nodded, out of breath and unable to speak. Realizing Allie was still shaking, Bea reached her right hand out to grab the blanket, pulling it towards them and draping it over Allie, wrapping her in it as Allie tenderly kissed her chest and wrapped her arms around Bea, dropping her head back onto her chest and closing her eyes. As she held Allie in her arms, tears began to fall down Bea's face, her happiness overwhelming her as she realized she had finally found bliss. Her head on Bea's chest, Allie could feel Bea's beating heart, smiling as she understood it now belonged to her as well.


	11. Chapter 11: Muddy Waters

Bea sat on a bench with her arms crossed, her back against the wall as she watched her crew attempt to play basketball. None of them followed any kind of rules or structure. Maxine constantly travelled, Boomer consistently knocked everyone down, Liz always threw the ball either over or next to the hoop, while Sonia strolled throughout the court, refusing to run, unnecessarily ducking, and dribbling the ball as if it were the most disgusting thing in the world. Bea snickered as she observed her ragtag group of friends, before standing up and walking over towards them, making everyone stop in their tracks, as they couldn't remember the last time Bea had actually participated in any activity in the courtyard beyond fighting other people.

"Can I play?" Bea asked.

"Oh thank goodness, by all means, take my spot, Beatrice," Sonia responded, relieved to no longer have to participate just so the teams had an even number.  
Sonia stepped to the side of the court as Bea stepped inside. She held her hands out, as Liz looked around at everyone, before throwing the ball to her. Bea caught it and as she began to dribble it towards the hoop, trying to get past Maxine, Boomer body checked her and knocked her to the ground, clearly still oblivious to how easily she overpowered everyone else.

"Oh fuck, fuck, Bea, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to, sorry, sorry," Boomer apologized, worried and afraid of Bea's reaction.

Liz and Maxine helped pull Bea to stand back up, as Sonia dusted her off from behind. Bea laughed, realizing she was just as inept at this game as any of them. The women all smiled before beginning to chuckle along with her, at first nervously, as none of them could recall the last time they ever saw her laugh.

"S'okay, Booms," Bea chuckled as she patted Boomer's arm.

Bea walked over to pick up the ball, glancing up for a second at Allie who watched her from the other side of the yard. Bea smiled as she turned back around and continued to play.  
…

Vera looked through the window in her office, visibly stressed and tired. She had listened to the recording of Ferguson's phone call to name Kaz as the Red Right Hand leader at least ten times, yet she had not done anything with it. As she passed the USB stick with the recording from her right to her left hand and back again, the door to her office opened, and Bridget walked inside. Vera placed the USB stick inside her pocket and sat back down in her chair as Bridget walked to stand in front of her desk.

"How are you doing today, Vera?"

"Just fine, Bridget. What can I do for you?"

Bridget sat down in the chair, inhaling deeply as she tried to find the best way to speak to Vera.

"Vera… I was passing through the yard just now, and I couldn't help but notice that Proctor and Ferguson are still interacting… chummy as ever."

Vera's eyes shifted left to right, as she pursed her lips and shrugged.

"…Why haven't you played the recording for Proctor?" Bridget asked, the concern evident in her voice.

Vera looked Bridget in the eyes as she took a deep breath, placing her interlocked hands on the desk in front of her.

"When Franky offered to find out who it was that put Proctor in here, I was thrilled. I never believed Smith shopped her, but it was supposed to make my life easier once Proctor learned her hatred for Smith was unfounded. It was supposed to make her leave Ferguson in the dust… But now that I know Ferguson was the one to actually do it… How do you think Proctor and her followers are going to react? They'll murder her in cold blood. I can't allow that, and I'm not allowed to put her back into protection because of that article. I appreciate what Franky did, truly, however if Ferguson dies, I'll have her legal team at my throat, the press, the board, everyone."

Bridget looked sternly at Vera, visibly upset with her for her reasoning to not share the recording with Kaz.

"Vera… Try as she might, Ferguson can't take Bea out alone. Ferguson can deal the final strike, but Proctor is the one who has to set her up. Bea trusted you to play that recording for Proctor, so she wouldn't have to fear for her life every waking moment. Every minute that you refuse to let Proctor hear it is a minute that she and Ferguson use to plot another attack against Bea. Every minute that you choose to help keep their alliance alive is a minute you take from Bea's life."

"What makes you so certain they'll try anything again?"

"Because they already did! They want to kill her! You fucking know that! Ferguson to keep her out of the trial and Proctor because she thinks she put her in here for twelve years!" Bridget yelled, unsettled by Vera's lack of judgment. "You're helping them plan another attack on Bea by refusing to let Proctor know the reason she's here! How could you possibly be okay with that?"

Vera looked down at the desk, reluctant to answer as she knew Bridget would disapprove.

"…If Ferguson dies on my watch, that's my career down the drain, that's my life's work, gone. I won't be able to come back from that ever. If Smith dies on my watch…"

Vera refused to finish her cruel statement, choosing to just look at Bridget, shake her head, and shrug. Bridget became horrified at the governor's logic, having only seen her as compassionate and reasonable in the past. Bridget stood up and looked down at Vera.

"How… How could you possibly believe that Bea's life is not as meaningful as Ferguson's?"

"That's not what I'm…"

"That's exactly what you're saying! You'd rather let her die at the hands of Ferguson and Proctor if it means you keep your position!"

Vera rose from her chair, slamming her hands down on the desk.

"Why should I sacrifice everything I've earned just on the off chance that this recording keeps her alive for a little while longer? You know it wasn't just Proctor and Ferguson in the laundry room that day. Smith is always going to have a target on her back for as long as she's at Wentworth, and both you and I know she won't live to see out her entire life sentence no matter what!"

A look of complete disbelief on her face, Bridget scoffed, appalled at how Vera was currently expressing herself about the person who had assisted her during her role as governor and helped oust Ferguson in the first place. Bridget shook her head, turned to pick up her folder, and walked towards the door.

"Ms. Westfall… if Proctor finds out about that recording, I will hold you responsible, do you understand?"

"…You know, Governor, now that I think about it… You're not that different from Ferguson after all."  
Bridget threw the door open before leaving and slamming it shut behind her. Vera rubbed her face before taking the USB stick out of her pocket and placing it on the desk in front of her. She reached for her stapler, lifting it slightly before forcefully bringing it down on the USB stick multiple times, shattering the device into pieces.  
…

Bea laid back on her bed, smiling as she looked at her drawing of Allie. Bea missed her, but she found some comfort in knowing that it wouldn't be long before it was safe for them to be out in the open together. Bea knew that Vera would play the recording for Kaz, causing her to turn her attention towards Ferguson. Bea knew that it wouldn't be just a friendly discussion between the two of them, but at least she wouldn't be the target anymore.  
Bea began to think of the first time she met Allie, believing she was nothing more than one of Kaz's pawns out for her blood. Every moment she shared with Allie she remembered perfectly, now understanding that the reason she did so was because everything Allie did or said to her was so memorable and so important, even if she hadn't realized it at the time. As difficult as her time had been since arriving at Wentworth, Bea couldn't help but feel a little thankful to Ferguson for helping bring this ray of light into her dark life.

That gratitude immediately vanished when Bea looked up from her sketchpad to see Ferguson standing in her doorway.

"Bea, a word?"

Bea jumped up, throwing the sketchpad face down on the pillow behind her.

"Get the fuck out of my unit," Bea demanded, taking a few steps closer to Ferguson.

"Down, girl," Ferguson remarked, lifting her bandaged hand up to Bea. "I think you'll be interested in what I have to say to you."

"I don't give a fuck what you…"

"It's about Allie."

"Get the fuck out of my unit before I put your other arm in a cast," Bea threatened as she stood in front of Ferguson.

"You must know this. She is in grave danger, and even though you are not on speaking terms, I know you still care for her and would never forgive yourself if harm befell her simply because you were too stubborn to listen to me."

Bea did her best to hide her concern, but she knew Ferguson was right. Bea exhaled deeply and raised her eyebrows, gesturing towards Ferguson to continue.

"Thank you. As you are aware, my trial is soon, and given this pathetic administration and security, you know that I am aware you will be testifying against me."

"I don't know what you're…"

"Please, Bea, I would like to finish this conversation before your pack of misfits arrives. Now, I do not want to be here. You do not want me here. I can guarantee that without your testimony, there will no longer be a case against me, and you will no longer be tormented by my presence. You must know that. So I am prepared to offer you a trade."

"Sorry, I already sold my soul to Satan once in the past. Didn't work out too well for her if I remember correctly," Bea smirked as she turned to walk back towards her bed.

"This is true… However, this time I don't want your soul. I'm simply trying to avoid having to take Allie's."

Bea froze. She turned back around to face Ferguson.

"What?"

"You see, Bea, the greatest problem I had with you in the past was that you were an adversary who quite literally had nothing to lose. You barked, bit, and attacked mercilessly, always knowing that the best and worst thing that could possibly befall you was death. Despite being such an uncontrollable rabid dog, you seem to have the lives of at least nine cats, so you can be certain that I won't try to come after you anymore. Your death is no longer worth it, as you will rot in here for however many lives you have left. However, I can promise you that you will have to die alone if you decide to testify against me."  
Bea's eyes betrayed her as they began to water, as she was unable to say anything and unable to hide her worry any longer. Ferguson smiled, turning her eyes towards Bea's tackboard.

"It'd be a shame for you to have to hang your drawing of Allie next to Debbie's in memory of her as well… Therefore, you decide. You can have me out of your life, or you can have both Allie and I out of it. I hope to hear your decision soon."

Ferguson raised her bandaged hand towards Bea, signaling a goodbye as she left Bea's room. Bea walked towards the door and slammed it shut, before leaning against it, sliding down to the floor, and beginning to cry. She ran her fingers through her hair, gripping and pulling at it as thoughts of Debbie and Allie flowed into her mind. She pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, and dropping her head forward as she continued to cry. Bea looked at her tackboard, her eyes focusing on Debbie's image. She turned towards the shelf next to her, slipping her hand in the gap between the shelf and the wall and pulling out the broken scissors that she had used to hurt no one but herself. Bea dragged her finger along the blade before standing up, placing the scissors in her pants, and walking out of her room.  
…

"Smith, for you, Governor."

"Not now, Ms. Miles."

Bea pushed past Miles to enter the office. Vera sighed and nodded, motioning for Miles to leave. Bea watched her close the door before turning to walk towards Vera's desk.

"Why the fuck are Kaz and Ferguson still on good terms?" Bea asked angrily. "Why haven't you gotten her listen to the recording?"

"I did. As it turns out her hatred for you went beyond just believing you're the reason she's in here."

"Bullshit!" Bea yelled.

"Smith, I suggest you watch your tone unless you want me to slot you."

Bea half laughed, shaking her head and running her hand through her hair.

"You haven't shared it with her. Kaz's only reason to hate me is her belief that I shopped her and her crew."

"Have you ever thought that maybe the reason she still hates you is because you ended up taking one of her own?"

The anger faded from Bea's face, as concern and confusion now took over.

"…What?"

"Please, Smith, don't make this conversation longer than it has to be. You know I'm talking about Novak. While Proctor is upset with Ferguson for shopping her, you were the one to take away the one person who made it easier for her to be here."

"You're lying. Kaz would never stay allied with…"

"Don't believe me. That's fine. But I would watch my back if I were you. We wouldn't want a repeat of the laundry room now, would we?"

Bea gripped the chair in front of her and looked down, as tears fell from her eyes. She felt defeated, completely lost as to what to do now.

"Lunch is almost over, Smith. You should go get something to eat… Keep your strength up now more than ever."

Bea looked up at Vera, her tone and demeanor reminding her of Ferguson, reminding her of the deal she had made with her in the past, reminding her that at the end of the day, Bea could not trust anyone who sat in the governor's chair. Bea wiped the tears from her eyes before pushing off the chair as she headed towards the door. Vera placed her elbows on the desk and massaged her face, knowing that Bea would eventually find out she lied, but for the time being, only having the goal of keeping Ferguson alive for a little while longer, long enough for her to finally face justice.  
…

Allie yawned and stretched as she waited for Kaz to finish eating to begin work duty, looking over at the H1 table and wondering where Bea was. Lunch was about to end, and the mess hall had nearly emptied. She had been concerned throughout lunch that Kaz and Ferguson might have something to do with why she wasn't there, especially because neither of them spoke of any plan against Bea or at least not when she was around. Allie patiently waited for the upcoming fallout between Kaz and Ferguson, knowing that it would only be a little longer before she could finally stop hiding her feelings for Bea.

Kaz slid her tray and glass as well as Ferguson's tray and glass towards Allie. Allie stacked the trays on top of one another, the glasses inside of one another, and left the table to walk towards the trashcans. As Kaz and Ferguson stood from the table and walked towards the exit, Bea threw the door open, accidentally hitting Kaz in the face as she wasn't paying attention to her surroundings.

"Fucking bitch!" Kaz yelled, as she brought down her hand from her bloody nose.

Bea awoke from her daze when Kaz grabbed her by her shirt and pushed her up against the wall, punching her in the stomach before grabbing her by her shirt again and throwing her to the floor, immediately falling on top of her and beginning to punch her in the face. The mess hall filled with cheers and jeers as Maxine and Boomer rushed over to help Bea, before being stopped by two women in Kaz's crew. One punched Maxine in the chest, causing Maxine to bend over in pain as the woman continued to hit her. The other woman tripped Boomer so she fell and hit her head on a table before being kicked repeatedly. Allie dropped the trays and glasses and ran over to Bea and Kaz, pulling Kaz off of Bea and dragging her away.

"Kaz, stop, Kaz, please stop! They'll slot you again!" Allie yelled, trying to control Kaz as she kicked and screamed.

"Get off of me, Allie!"

Jake and the two other officers on duty rushed over, yelling at everyone to settle down, which they refused to do. Jake grabbed Kaz by her arm, while the other officers grabbed the other two women from Kaz's crew and led them out of the mess hall.

"Too late now, Proctor. Back in the slot," Jake said as he pulled an angry Kaz through the door.

Allie turned back towards Bea, still lying on the floor and bleeding from her face. Allie held her hand out to help Bea up, but Bea wouldn't take it, her eyes blankly staring up at the ceiling as she trembled. Sonia walked over to Bea as Liz tried to help Maxine and Boomer.

"Bea?"

Allie kneeled next to Bea and placed her hand on her back to help her sit up. Feeling something odd, Allie turned to look at her hand and saw blood on it. Confused and concerned, Allie lifted Bea's shirt to find the source of the bleeding, a look of horror coming over her face when she saw the broken scissors Bea had been carrying had impaled her.

"What the…Bea… BEA! BEA! NO! PLEASE HELP! SHE NEEDS HELP! PUSH THE PANIC BUTTON! SHE NEEDS HELP! SOMEONE PUSH THE FUCKING PANIC BUTTON! BEA!" Allie cried out, tears streaming down her face.

Sonia tried to run towards the distress signal, but was stopped by Ferguson yanking her hair and easily dropping her to the floor. Seeing the horror unfolding before her, Doreen rushed towards the panic button and pressed it over and over again. Ferguson glared at her before turning her eyes back down towards Allie, who cried as she held on to Bea to keep her from falling over. Ferguson began to walk towards the exit, stepping over Sonia before stopping to kick Bea in the back, her force driving the scissors as deep as they would go into her. Ferguson smirked as she walked out into the hallway, as the officers rushed towards the mess hall, as the sounds of the alarms were drowned out by Allie's piercing cries.


	12. Chapter 12: Bleeders

"Time for head count, ladies," called out Will as he stepped into H1.  
The women all stood outside their doors, none of them looking up. Will walked towards Bea's closed door and peeked inside. Sonia walked up to him and placed her hand on his arm.  
"Please, Mr. Jackson…"  
"She's been in there all day, no work, no meals… I can't just let her…"  
"She has no one left, Mr. Jackson. Please, if only for tonight."

Will turned back towards the door to Bea's cell, sighing and nodding before walking out of the cellblock and shutting the gate behind him. Maxine, Boomer, and Doreen returned to their own rooms, each woman throwing the door closed. Sonia looked at Liz, who sat down on the couch and stared at the floor.

Allie sat on Bea's bed, her back against the wall with her face in Bea's pillow, rocking back and forth as she cried. She gripped the pillow with all her might, as she struggled to breathe. The door to Bea's room opened, as Sonia walked inside and shut it behind her. She watched Allie, taking pity on the girl who had entered the room that morning, never having left for a second the entire day. Even though she knew that nothing she could say could possibly help Allie, Sonia wanted to let her know that she was not alone. She walked over to the bed and sat down next to Allie, wrapping her left arm around the devastated girl and bringing her in for a hug. Allie never once looked up, keeping her face buried in Bea's pillow, hoping that maybe if she kept her face in the pillow long enough, she wouldn't have to suffer any longer.  
…

Vera sat in her office, staring at nothing and completely disengaged from her environment. She failed to notice the office door thrown open as Franky pushed Miles away to get through and stop in front of Vera. Vera finally looked up, nodding to Miles who immediately left and slammed the door behind her, before turning her attention towards Franky. Franky slammed her fists down on the desk.

"How the fuck could you let this happen?" Franky yelled, her eyes watering. "All you had to do was play the fucking recording for Proctor. That was it, that's all!"  
"Franky, I never could have imagined…"

Franky reached across the desk and grabbed Vera by her collar, easily dragging the small woman over the desk like a ragdoll and punching her in the face before letting her fall to the floor. Franky bent over and picked her back up by her collar again, shaking her as she spoke.

"You never could have imagined?! Why the fuck do you think Bea needed that information so badly?! You knew those fuckers were out for her blood, and you served Bea to them on a silver platter!" Franky cried out.  
"Franky, it was an accident!"

Franky struck Vera across the face again, catching her before Vera fell to the floor and slamming her down on the desk.

"AN ACCIDENT?! AN ACCIDENT?! SHE'S FUCKING DEAD, YOU HEARTLESS PIECE OF SHIT!"

Franky punched Vera in the face with her right hand as she held her down by her neck with her left hand. Hearing the commotion, Jake ran into the office and pulled Franky off of Vera as she wrestled to break free from his hold.

"Let go of me, you rat bastard!" Franky screamed before head-butting Jake, who immediately let go of her to bring his hands to his face.

Franky stepped back over to Vera, pulling her up off the desk by her hair and gripping her by her neck.

"Listen to me and listen to me close. I will do everything in my power to make sure you don't keep your precious job for much longer. I will make your life a fucking nightmare, and I'll be sure to get that fucking woman the justice this hellhole denied her all her life."

Franky pushed Vera away, who fell to the floor and struggled to breathe. Franky pushed past Jake before storming out of the office. Vera sat up and leaned against the desk, burying her bleeding face in her hands as Jake watched her. She suddenly jumped up off the floor and ran out of her office, as Jake walked over to the desk to grab a tissue for his bloody nose.  
…

Bridget opened the door to the slot cell where Kaz was being held. As much as Bridget wanted to go off on Kaz for what she had done, she did her best to try to remain professional when dealing with the woman. Kaz sat up in her bed and stared at Bridget as she walked into her room.

"I don't need a fucking psych," Kaz remarked scornfully.  
"I'm afraid I have to check in with any inmate who has been involved in a murder," Bridget replied coldly, unable to disguise her contempt for Kaz.  
"I already told you fuckers I didn't kill Bea Smith."  
"It's incredibly difficult to believe that when you were the one who ended up on top of her and beating her for accidentally hitting you with a door, Kaz."  
"Look, I don't know what happened, but I didn't shiv her. That wasn't my weapon. For all you know she was there to kill me and her plan backfired."  
"And why would she want to kill you? It seems since you arrived here that's been a bigger part of your agenda, hasn't it?"

Kaz scoffed, upset at the obvious favoritism Bridget displayed for Bea.

"She put me in here for twelve years. I think I'm more than allowed to not cry over her death, wouldn't you agree, Ms. Westfall?"  
Bridget turned towards the door, reaching for the handle and pulling it closed. She threw her notepad on the floor before reaching into her pocket and pulling out her phone.

"Kaz… Bea never wanted to hurt you. Ever. All she wanted was to keep you from hurting her. She asked the governor to find information on who it was that named you as the leader of the Red Right Hand… The day you were supposed to be called in to the governor's office to hear the information was the day Bea tragically died."

Bridget held the phone out to Kaz, who refused to take it.

"As devastating as this recording will be for you, it's imperative for you to listen to it so you can finally begin to take responsibility for the mistakes you've made and the horrific tragedy you played a part in."

Kaz took the phone from Bridget, her hand beginning to shake as she pressed play.

Sonia, Maxine, and Liz all sat at a table in the library, making their way through dozens of papers.

"I have thirty," Liz stated, placing her papers on the table.  
"Twenty-eight," Maxine remarked, setting her papers down on the table as well.  
"Forty-two," Sonia added, as she grabbed the other papers to form one stack. "That's a hundred total."  
"This is great," Liz said sadly as she pat the table.  
"Do you really think it'll help?" Maxine asked turning towards Sonia.  
"It certainly won't hurt. The biggest witness to Joan Ferguson's inhumanity is now gone, having fallen victim to her one last time, so whatever testimonies we can get detailing the level of Ferguson's atrocities both as a governor and as an inmate will at the very least impede her from walking out a free woman anytime soon."

As Sonia went through the stack of papers, writing down the names of the inmates who had written and signed them, Boomer and Doreen entered the library.

"Guys, Dors has got a juicy one for ya," Boomer stated pointing towards Doreen.

"It's a little long…" Doreen remarked as she looked at her stack of papers.  
"That makes it even better, Dor," Liz smiled, taking the papers from her.

Liz handed the papers to Sonia, who placed them on the table in front of her. She removed her glasses and wiped them with a lens cloth, before picking up the testimony and beginning to read it.

…

Allie sat on the floor, leaning against Bea's bed as she flipped through her sketchbook. Tears continued to fall down her face, but she no longer made a sound as she cried. The door to the room opened, and Maxine, Liz, Sonia, and Boomer all crowded into the small space. Allie ignored the women, focusing only on the image Bea had drawn of her. Liz and Sonia sat down on either side of Allie, Maxine sat down on the toilet seat, and Boomer sat down next to her on the floor. Sonia wrapped her arm around Allie, and Liz began to rub Allie's leg, as they looked at the drawing as well.

Allie turned to the last page, beginning to half laugh and half cry as the tears raced down her cheeks. Liz brought her hands up to cover her face and cry into them, while Sonia removed her glasses and wiped her eyes. Allie turned the sketchpad towards Maxine and Boomer, showing them a drawing Bea had done of all of them. Maxine, Boomer, Liz, Sonia, and Allie were all in the drawing, smiling and standing close to one another. Boomer began to bawl as Maxine tried to comfort her by rubbing her back, unable to do so as she broke down as well.  
…

After having skipped meals for days, Allie was brought into the mess hall by the women of H1, all concerned with her physical and mental health. She sat in Bea's former chair, barely eating or drinking anything at all as she stared off into space, her eyes opening and closing slowly as if she was about to fall asleep, her only other movement being that of her fingers twirling her fork. None of the women at the table said a word, none of the women in the mess hall made a sound. Kaz sat at her table, unable to eat anything either, and unable to shake the guilt, shame, and regret that had overcome her since listening to the phone call that put her and her crew in prison, those feelings having been exasperated as she looked into Allie's dead eyes. Jake and Will observed the mess hall through their booth.

"Bleak as fuck in here," Jake muttered as his eyes surveyed the mess hall. "Wonder how long this will last."  
"Smith was important to these women. Losing her isn't something they can easily get over."

Jake turned towards Will, noticing his eyes were watering.  
"By the looks of it, you can't get over her either," Jake commented.

Will inhaled and exhaled deeply as he looked down at the floor.  
"…She was a good person. We went through a lot together in here and… It's a shit place to be but… She made it better."

Jake observed Will as he spoke, never before having seen him this frail or vulnerable.  
"Shit, mate… You sort of loved her, didn't you?"

Will looked up at Jake, a small, sad smile appearing on his face as he slowly nodded. Jake patted him on the back, looking up at the doors of the mess hall to see Ferguson walk through.

"This should be fun," Jake muttered.

Maxine, Boomer, Liz, Doreen, and Sonia all glared at Ferguson with contempt. Ferguson made her way towards the lunch line, glancing over at Allie and smiling, before beginning to grab food and place it on her tray, as the women working the counter refused to serve her. Allie continued staring off into space, unaware and disconnected from everything and everyone around her. Ferguson walked past the H1 table, a little disappointed to see that Doreen had joined them once again, before arriving at the H3 table.

"Didn't expect such a hostile environment from the same women who wanted Smith gone in the first place," Ferguson remarked as she went to sit down next to Kaz.

Kaz kicked Ferguson's chair back, causing her to fall backwards onto the floor. Some of the women in the mess hall began to laugh. Kaz pushed Ferguson's tray, spilling the contents of it onto her. She stood up from her chair and crouched down next to Ferguson.

"Fuck you, Freak."

Kaz rose back up and looked around the mess hall at the women laughing, some cheering. Her eyes turned towards Allie, who had finally looked up at her.

"Long live Queen Bea," Kaz declared.

Kaz looked at the other members of her crew at her table, only two remaining loyal to her after everything she had done.  
"Fuck you, Freak. Long live Queen Bea," Kaz proclaimed even louder.

The two women sitting at her table joined in the chant, as they began to beat their hands on the table.  
"Fuck you, Freak! Long live Queen Bea!"

The majority of the women in the rest of the mess hall joined in, the rallying call becoming louder and louder as the women yelled and brought their hands down on the tables and stomped their feet on the floor. They began to throw food at Ferguson who was still on the floor, trying to cover herself, all the while continuing to chant. Will and Jake exited the booth and began yelling at everyone, demanding they settle down, as food, trays, silverware, and glasses flew across the mess hall, some aimed towards them, the majority thrown towards Ferguson.

Almost as if in unison, the women rose from their seats and made their way towards Ferguson as she tried to stand up, beginning to kick her, punch her, yank her hair, and tear her clothes. Tables were flipped, chairs were thrown, one of them managing to hit Jake in the head and knock him out. Will radioed in a distress call for backup and medical assistance as he dragged Jake back into the booth as the women became even more violent.

"FUCK YOU, FREAK! LONG LIVE QUEEN BEA!"

Maxine, Boomer, Liz, and Doreen joined the mob in chanting and throwing food at Ferguson. Sonia walked towards the counter, taking her sweater off and using it to pick up a hot tray of beans, running over to pour it on Ferguson before chucking the scalding tray itself in her face. Other women followed Sonia's example, grabbing every last tray of hot food, every last pitcher of water, and dumping it on the screaming woman as the group that assaulted her stepped back. Juice and her crew headed for the tea maker, unscrewing the top off, picking it up, and pouring the hot water on Ferguson before hurling the machine at her. Allie remained seated, twirling her fork in her hand, watching the chaos unfold around her, ignoring the food that mistakenly hit her. She turned her eyes towards the clock, realized it was time for her to start work duty, and rose from her seat to head towards the kitchen, leaving her tray and glass behind on the table.  
…

Franky sat in the visitors' room with Bridget, as she looked up at the clock.

"Where is she?" Franky asked.  
"H-block is at lunch right now, but given how she hasn't been eating recently, it might take a bit to track her down. They probably should've gone to check Bea's room first."  
"Can't even imagine what she's feeling right now…"

Bridget sighed and nodded, placing her elbows on the table as she massaged her face.

"Are you okay?" Franky asked, taking Bridget's hand in her own.

Bridget placed her hand over Franky's, looking into her eyes with the greatest concern.  
"Are you?"  
"…You should've seen them together, Gidge… I… I just want to make sure Allie's okay. I mean it's the least I can do at this point."

Bridget nodded and softly smiled. Suddenly, the alarms began to sound, and the officers began to clear everyone out of the visiting area.

"What's going on?" Franky asked, receiving no answer as she was pulled out of the room.  
…

As Allie turned the faucet on, the intercom blared a warning signaling a lockdown and ordering all women to return to their units, followed by the sounds of the alarms. Allie squeezed her eyes shut tight and tried to cover her ears, the sirens forcing her to relive the moment Bea died in her arms. She covered her ears so tightly, her fingernails dug into her scalp, but she was unable to drown out the alarms. Allie lowered her hands, hit the counter with both her fists, and walked over to a cabinet, taking out an apron and tying it around her waist, deciding to stay and continue working as if there was no riot occurring right outside, not wanting to return to H3 ever again. She ran her hands underneath the running water, before beginning to wash the knives as the chanting and screaming from the mess hall became even louder following the announcement.

"Allie?"

Allie gripped the knife in her hand with all her might at the sound of Kaz's voice. She turned around, keeping her hand behind her as she leaned against the counter.

"We… We have to go back to our units, bubba," Kaz said with tears in her eyes.

Allie glared at Kaz, feeling nothing but pure hatred for the woman before her. Allie couldn't cry anymore. All she wanted to do was somehow numb her pain.

"Allie, I… I know it wasn't Bea who shopped us. I… I know that now and I'm sorry, but you have to believe me, Allie, I didn't kill her, I swear."

"You and Ferguson both killed her," Allie replied coldly, her eyes no longer showing sorrow, only rage.

"…I'm so sorry, Allie, I know she meant a lot to you and if I could…"  
"She means the world to me, Kaz, and you took her away from me," Allie interjected. "She never did anything, anything to you but you were so intimidated, so afraid of her that you made a pact with the woman responsible for you being here and you took her away from me."  
"Allie… Just… Just tell me how to make things right, please! I love you and I can't lose you!"  
"You love me? You love me? You held me down and shoved drugs into my veins. You kept saying it was so Bea would leave me, but it was just so you could give me a reason to stay with you. She took care of me, Kaz. She told me to stay with your fucking crew so you wouldn't come after me again. She cared for me, Kaz. She was all I had and you took her away from me," Allie gritted through her teeth.  
"Allie… Allie, I just didn't want to lose you," Kaz whispered as her voice cracked and tears began to run down her face.  
"I don't need you, Kaz."  
"Allie, please don't say that!"

Kaz threw herself on Allie, closing her eyes as she hugged her tightly. Allie seized the back of her head and brought it down with full force against the counter. She rolled Kaz over on the counter, so she faced her. Allie raised the knife to Kaz's throat, placing pressure on it and causing the blade to break through Kaz's skin.

"I won't slit your throat. You're going to suffer. You're going to rot in here. You're going to pay for what you did to her. But if you ever, ever come near me again, I will rip out your intestines and hang you from the ceiling, do you understand me?"

"Allie!" Kaz cried.  
"DO YOU FUCKING UNDERSTAND ME?"

Allie shoved Kaz, who fell to the floor, holding her bleeding neck. Kaz could only nod as she looked up at Allie, before slowly standing up and walking out of the kitchen, not turning her back on Allie as she was terrified she would use the knife on her. Allie threw the knife in the sink, as she broke down crying. With every repeat of the siren, Allie could only picture holding Bea in her arms as she bled to death. She shut her eyes tight and tried to cover her ears again, ultimately knowing that try as she might, nothing could alleviate the pain she felt. Allie opened her eyes again and stared into the sink, the running water still pouring over the knife. She lifted the knife, dragging her left index finger across it and cutting through the skin. Allie stared at the blood, only remembering the blood that had flowed out of Bea and onto her hand.

Allie shut off the water and walked into the equipment room, ripping off her apron and tossing it to the side as she closed the door and fell to the floor against the wall where Bea had rested her after Kaz's attack. Allie stared blankly ahead, her bloodshot, lifeless eyes looking at nothing and thinking of no one but Bea. Suddenly the door to the equipment room opened and Ferguson ran inside, covered in food, liquid, and garbage from head to toe. Her skin was red from where the burning food and tea had hit her. She was gasping for breath as she shut the door behind her and leaned against it, wiping her face with her sleeve before realizing that Allie sat no more than two feet away from her, holding a knife in her right hand.

The two women looked at one another, Ferguson standing tall and mighty over Allie who sat on the floor, gripping the knife in her right hand as her left index finger bled out. She slowly rose from the floor as Ferguson reached her hand back towards the door handle. As Ferguson rushed to open the door, Allie shot forward and kicked the door shut, at the same time aiming the knife to stab Ferguson in the stomach. Ferguson managed to grab hold of Allie's wrist, twisting it and turning her arm forcefully, causing it to snap like a twig and forcing her to drop the knife. Ferguson kicked Allie in the stomach, pushing her back towards the counter before bending down to pick up the knife and clenching Allie's neck with one hand as she held the knife to her throat.

"You're such an insignificant little mutt…" whispered Ferguson as she brought her face down to Allie's.

Allie didn't struggle. She ignored the pain of her broken arm, ignored the crushing weight of Ferguson on top of her body. Part of Allie wanted Ferguson to hurt her, to harm her, to cause her severe enough damage that she would be forced to finally face justice for something. But Ferguson knew better than that.

"I pity you, Allie. Truly. But with Smith gone, you now mean nothing to me."

Ferguson struck Allie across her face before grabbing her and knocking her to the floor. She grabbed Allie's broken arm and put the knife in her left hand, gripping it with her own hand before stabbing and dragging it through her broken forearm, causing her to begin to bleed out. She switched the knife to Allie's other hand and stabbed her other wrist with it as well, dragging it down her forearm as the blood shed down both her arms.

"I hope you see this as an act of mercy, my dear… Consider this my gift."

Ferguson threw the knife on the other side of the equipment room. She stepped on Allie's broken and bleeding arm, causing the woman to scream for the first time out of sheer pain. Ferguson walked out of the equipment room, not before bringing down a shelf filled with pots and utensils on top of Allie. She shut the door behind her, leaving Allie bleeding and agonizing, this time with no one there to hold her.  
…

"Proctor for you, Governor," Miles announced as she let Kaz into the office.

Vera rubbed her face softly, the bruises from Franky's attack still fresh and sensitive. She sighed and nodded as Miles exited the room.  
"What is it, Proctor?" Vera asked.

Kaz stood with her hands in her pockets, a solemn look on her face, the cut on her neck highlighted by the light that came in through the windows.

"I need you to call up the judge in Allie's case," Kaz requested.  
"And tell him what exactly?"  
"Allie was blackmailed into working for me with the Red Right Hand. I threatened to kill her if she didn't do what I said and kept pressuring her under the threat of death into not saying anything the whole time we've been here."  
Vera stared at Kaz, her mouth agape as she shook her head, unable to say anything. Kaz continued.  
"I spoke with our lawyer already, but I need you to also tell the judge of my confession and write a statement on behalf of Allie's exemplary conduct since she's been here."  
"…As… generous as your cause is, Proctor, Novak has hardly been a model of good behavior. She worked with your group willingly, played a role in one of the bloodiest clashes of my time here, has been rumored to be taking drugs again…"  
"She's not using again. I held her down and injected her with a shot of heroin. That's it. That's all that happened."

Vera was confounded by the words coming out of Kaz's mouth. She stood up from her chair and stared Kaz in the eyes.

"That's not true."  
"It is true. We assaulted her in the equipment room."  
"You wouldn't do that."  
"I did it as a fucked up way of getting her away from Bea Smith, but honestly, part of me hoped she would relapse and need me to take care of her again."  
"…What are you doing?"  
"I'm taking responsibility for the mistakes I've made. Please do this. Allie's sentencing is coming up, and once she gets out of the hospital, I don't want her to have to spend anymore time than she has to in this place. She has nothing, no one here anymore, and I don't see her surviving another suicide attempt."  
"Look, Proctor, Novak has to face her time just like any other…"  
"You want to know who took those photos of Ferguson and contacted the journalist?"

Vera stared into Kaz's eyes.

"Call the judge, and write that statement, and I'm more than happy to give you the mole, phone and all, and I'll help you tell the journalist the story of what really happened."

Kaz held her hand out to Vera, who hesitated at first before ultimately shaking it.  
…

Allie slowly opened her eyes, having trouble adjusting to the bright light. She felt lightheaded, but the pain in her arms was barely noticeable. Allie opened and closed her eyes as she tried to make sense of where she was, looking down to see an arm across her chest. Allie turned to the side to see Bea lying next to her with her eyes closed. Allie smiled, happy that death had given Bea back to her. Allie turned on her side, lifting her arm up and wrapping herself around Bea as she pulled her in close, who stirred in her sleep before finally opening her eyes.

"You know… I never really thought about the afterlife… but I'm thankful it exists," Allie whispered, as she hugged Bea as tightly as she could.  
"What? Allie… Allie, you're not dead," Bea replied, unable to hold back a soft laugh.  
"…I'm not?"  
"No," Bea chuckled. "You're my Allie Cat, remember? You have nine lives."  
"Ohhh… it's a coma then? Okay that's cool too, just don't be that lame kind of vision that tells me to wake up," Allie said, as she kissed Bea's forehead and closed her eyes.

Bea laughed as she brought her hands up to Allie's face and caressed her.

"Allie… You're not dead. You're not in a coma."  
Allie's eyes shot open as she stared at Bea.  
"I'm not?"  
"You're alive… We're alive."

Bea smiled as she brought Allie's face down to hers and kissed her. Allie couldn't close her eyes, terrified that this was all just a dream she would soon wake up from. Allie shot up in the bed and looked down at Bea, before looking at her own bandaged arms, her right arm in a cast, and then around the room, unfamiliar with the area. Bea slowly sat up in the bed, softly smiling at Allie as she waited for her confusion to pass. Allie placed her hands on Bea's face, running them up and down her cheeks, over her lips and eyes, through her hair, down her neck, and over her shoulders and arms, before grabbing her hands and intertwining their fingers. She swallowed hard before placing her hands on Bea's neck and pulling her in for a kiss. Bea smiled as Allie desperately kissed her for a few seconds before she pulled away and wrapped her arms around her, planting kisses on her forehead, cheeks, nose, eyes, and the top of her head as she began to cry. Bea hugged her tightly, exhilarated to be back in Allie's arms again.


	13. Chapter 13: Time and Tide

"A…Allie… Allie… I need… to talk… to you…"  
"Not as much… as I need… to kiss you…"

Allie continued kissing Bea, refusing to break away from her to let the woman speak. Bea raised her hand up to Allie's lips to stop her, but all Allie could do was begin kissing her fingers. Bea laughed as Allie moved her hand away to kiss her lips again. Knowing that they didn't have much time left, Bea forced herself to break away from Allie and struggled to sit up in the bed. Allie sat up as well, grabbing Bea's face again, leaning in to kiss her again, but this time being stopped as Bea grabbed her face and held her back.

"Allie, we really need to talk," Bea asked as she looked into Allie's eyes.

Allie swallowed hard and quickly nodded her head.

"Okay… What… What, I… What's going on?"

"Okay first of all… what the fuck were you thinking?" Bea asked, smiling sadly, compassion in her eyes as she stroked Allie's face.  
"I know, I know it looks bad but… Bea, I swear I didn't try to off myself. I ended up in the equipment room with Ferguson and…"  
"Ferguson did this to you?"  
"She… I tried to get at her, but… Well as you know by now I've always had a knack for underestimating her."  
Bea brought Allie's head down, placing a kiss on her forehead. Allie's eyes began to tear up as she refused to let go of Bea's wrists.  
"But… How… Where are we?" Allie asked, looking around the room and finally noticing that neither of them had on their usual teal clothes but now wore white gowns instead.

Bea let go of Allie's face and looked around the room as well.

"Hospital," Bea replied, running her hand over Allie's bandaged arms. "You lost a lot of blood and…"  
"I lost a lot of blood? Bea… Bea, everyone at Wentworth thinks you're dead. I thought…" Allie shook her head, unable to understand what was going on, but still smiling for having been lied to.  
"I know… I just passed out after… I didn't… I'm so sorry… When Franky found out I asked her to go talk to you, but apparently that was the day you…"  
Bea hugged Allie again, upset with what had happened to Allie, as she knew that they would never be safe as long as Ferguson was alive. Bea broke away again and placed her hands behind her on the bed to support her as she sat and began to explain.  
"When I woke up here, the governor was standing watch over me. She apologized for not sharing the recording of the Freak with Kaz and said she realized that it wouldn't be safe for me to go back to Wentworth for now."  
"Huh…I guess she sort of cares about you."  
"That's what I thought at first but then she told me she didn't share the recording because she thought Kaz would kill the Freak and ruin the chance for Ferguson to face justice as well as take her career down with her… So, she cares, but she's keeping me here because she cares that I make it to that trial. And… I have to stay a little longer anyways to recover so… The board and the admins here cut a deal to keep me hidden until the trial, safe from her and Kaz.  
"Trust me, Kaz isn't out for your blood anymore."  
"Yeah I heard. Westfall played the call for Kaz and she went batshit crazy?"  
"It wasn't just Kaz. Bea, Ferguson was attacked by everyone during lunch. They chucked food, trays, glasses at her, beat her, ripped her clothes, her hair. She ended up running into the equipment room to escape them all… They were unforgivingly brutal."

Bea looked at Allie confused.

"Why? Ferguson didn't shop them."  
"Because they care about you. Sure, some of them might have issues, but most are crushed thinking that Ferguson killed you."

The edges of Bea's lips slowly curved upwards, a soft smile appearing on her face.

"So Westfall knows you're here?"  
"Yeah 'cause of Franky. Other than them the only other people who know are the governor, the board, and the officer they keep stationed outside the room."  
"Who's the officer?"  
"Don't know. Some bloke from Walford who thinks he's helping cover Wentworth's lack of staff. He doesn't know who I am or why I'm here. Governor's not taking any chances with anyone finding out."  
"Just one? I'm surprised they didn't assign a team to watch over you given your experience with hospital escapes," Allie chuckled.  
"Yeah… Easier to escape back then…" Bea softly laughed, a certain inkling of sadness in her eyes. "But uhmm… she even made sure to keep you in here with me as well so they wouldn't have to bring in a guard from Wentworth."  
"Well, I'll be sure to write her a thank you note…" Allie said as she leaned in to kiss Bea again.  
As they were kissing, the door to the room opened, and Franky walked inside, loudly clearing her throat and causing Bea and Allie to tear away from each other and look at her.  
"Well, if it isn't my favorite star-crossed lovers! They should write a story about you two idiots. Call it Redeo and Jalliet," Franky joked as she stood at the foot of the bed. "Redeo accidentally impales thyself with thy own sword, so Jalliet tries offing thyself whilst doing thy dishes."

Bea and Allie laughed, both appreciating how Franky could find humor in such a dark and dismal situation.

"Wait, so no one at Wentworth knows about Bea but you do?" Allie asked laughingly.  
"Yeah, when I, uh… I heard Red died I sort of… freaked out on the governor and ended up beating the vinegar out of her tits…"  
"You see, Allie, Franky cares about me," Bea smiled.  
"Piss off," Franky laughed. "But yeah when she told me after I threatened her lovely job title, I ended up apologizing and came here to make sure your wife was okay… Who then proceeded to immediately send me to hell to check on her wife…"  
"Bennett refused to let me call or send you a note or anything. She didn't want anyone finding out I wasn't dead," Bea interjected.  
"Yeah, she's a gem…" Franky added sarcastically. "Anyways, I'm in the visiting area waiting for someone to bring you when the sirens go off and… later learn that you pulled a trademark Bea Smith move and slashed your wrists… Honestly you're both terrifyingly perfect for each other."

Bea and Allie looked at each other, smiling, as they leaned in to kiss one another. Allie wasn't up for explaining what had really happened just now. Franky scoffed laughingly.

"Ugh, don't do that now. Red, I ran into your doctor outside, and she told me you were needed downstairs, so I told her I'd take you."

Bea pulled away from Allie and looked at Franky, swallowing hard and nodding.

"Wait, I thought this was our room?" Allie asked looking at Bea.  
"It is…" Bea began. "Uhmm, I'll be back later though, okay? Just… Just rest please."  
"Where are you going?"

Franky looked at Bea and then down at the floor, realizing Bea hadn't told Allie yet. Franky took a deep breath and walked over to the other bed in the room, grabbing a wheelchair that was on the other side of it and pushing it next to Allie's bed before locking it in place. Allie stared at the wheelchair, then looked at Bea, tears welling up in their eyes.

"It didn't kill me but… It was still a, uh… A pretty nasty spinal cord injury…" Bea quietly spoke, unable to look at Allie.

Franky walked to stand next to Bea, hooking Bea's right arm over her shoulder, and carefully lifting her to bring her down into the wheelchair. Bea finally forced herself to look up at Allie, who had still not said anything.

"…It's… temporary." Bea forced a smile. "Just… Just don't know how long temporary is."  
"I'm coming with you," Allie said as she stood up from the bed.  
"No, no, no, no!" Bea held out her hand to stop her.  
"You can't, kiddo, I'm sorry," Franky said as she released the locks on the chair and stood behind Bea. "Screw outside lets me come and go, but you aren't allowed to leave. She'll be back after her physical therapy sesh, okay?"

Tears began to stream from Allie's eyes, as she softly smiled and quickly nodded. She crouched down in front of Bea and took her hands in her own, kissing them and squeezing them tightly.

"I love you, Bea" Allie whispered.

Tears began to fall down Bea's cheeks as she smiled and nodded.

"I love you, Allie."

Allie reached up to give Bea one last kiss and hug, before letting go and allowing Franky to pull her away from her. Franky stopped to open the door then stood behind Bea again and pushed her out of the room. Allie wiped her eyes with her bandaged forearm, crying out of happiness because she had Bea back, crying out of sadness because of what had been done to her.  
…

"Mr. Jackson!"

Will stopped walking and turned to face Kaz who was rushing towards him. He lifted his hand, signaling for her to stop running. Kaz stopped and slowly walked over to him.

"What do you want, Proctor?"  
"I… I wanted to apologize for how I've treated you… I know now that you had nothing to do with Ferguson's… I just wanted to say I'm sorry."  
Will stared at Kaz, unsure if she was being sincere.  
"That's okay," Will replied as he turned to walk away.  
"Mr. Jackson!"

Kaz grabbed Will's arm to stop him. She quickly pulled away when he looked down at her hand. Kaz held out a folded piece of paper to him.

"Could you… Could you please get this to Allie?"  
"Look, Proctor, we're not allowed to…"  
"Please. It's important. I messed up and… Please, Mr. Jackson, I need her to read this."

Will exhaled deeply before nodding and taking the paper from Kaz.

"Thank you."

Kaz softly smiled before giving him a hug, again quickly pulling back when she realized what she was doing. Jake had turned the corner and was approaching them, witnessing the hug.

"Sorry," Kaz apologized before quickly walking away.

Jake approached Will from behind, looking over his shoulder at the paper he held in his hands.

"Wow, so Smith leaves the picture and just like that you find yourself a new inmate to love," Jake smirked.  
"Piss off, it's not like that."  
"No? That's not a love letter?" Jake asked, gesturing towards the paper.  
"No… She wants me to get it to Novak."  
"My shift's over. I don't mind dropping it off."  
"That's okay…"  
"No, no, come on. You got a few hours left and live on the other side of town. Hospital's closer to me."

Jake reached his hand out to take the letter, which Will slowly handed to him before leaving. Jake watched him walk away, before turning to leave in the other direction, unfolding the letter, and beginning to read it.  
…

Vera sat at her computer, smiling as she read through the draft of the new article. Written by the same journalist as the previous one, the new article corrected all the errors from the first one. It no longer portrayed Ferguson as the victim of abuse and neglect from the other inmates or the administration, but as the victimizer who was injured as a result of self-defense from the inmate she attempted to kill in the laundry room. It spoke of how Ferguson had been moved to the protection unit with 24/7 medical supervision in order to keep her as safe as possible. The journalist had emailed the article to Vera to look it over for approval before publishing it but had also requested to speak with the inmate Ferguson tried to murder. Vera took a deep breath as she thought of how to respond.

"Stevens for you, Governor," Miles announced as she opened the door to Vera's office.

"Thank you, Ms. Miles. Please come in."

Sonia walked into the office holding a stack of papers and setting it down directly in front of Vera on the desk.

"What's this?" Vera asked, scanning over the words on the top page.

"Governor, I am here on behalf of a hundred and one women of Wentworth Correctional Centre who are appalled by what Joan Ferguson has been allowed to get away with as a governor, as an inmate, and as a human. With the help of Maxine Conway, Elizabeth Birdsworth, and Susan Jenkins, we have collected a hundred and one testimonies describing in detail countless times when Joan Ferguson was allowed to victimize and terrorize the women of Wentworth, most notably Beatrice Smith."

Vera picked up the stack, flipping through it and noticing that each of the testimonies had been signed by an inmate.

"They're signed…" Vera commented, shocked by the fact that these women were all willing to put their name to their testimony.

"Indeed, Governor. What Joan Ferguson did to Beatrice Smith could not be considered anything less than inhuman, and you will see in the testimonies in front of you that dozens of others witnessed this relentless predator on the hunt. We hope that these testimonies can be delivered to the prosecutor in Ferguson's case, especially now that Beatrice is unable to…"

Vera looked up at Sonia, a determined look in her watery eyes as she was unable to continue speaking. She looked back down at the stack of papers.

"I'll pass them along."  
"Thank you, Governor."

Sonia nodded towards Vera before heading for the door and grabbing the handle.

"Sonia… Why are you doing this? You barely knew Smith."

"… Beatrice was a fighter. Her strength was unparalleled, despite being perpetually in danger, in pain, in agony… and I refuse to let her story go untold."  
Sonia walked out of the governor's office. Vera looked down and began reading through the first testimony, which described the events of the laundry room. It detailed what happened from the mob arriving to Liz and Sonia being attacked to Bea getting assaulted and having her arm burned with the original intention being her face, to Allie helping her, to Kaz attacking Allie, to Ferguson strangling Bea, to Sonia fighting Ferguson off and burning her arm after digging her nails into her eyes, to Allie defending Bea one last time from Kaz. The statement was signed by Sonia.

Vera sat back in her chair, a look of astonishment on her face, as she was unsure of what to do with this information. Bea was alive, but this testimony would undoubtedly help in the case against Ferguson to portray her as unfit for release anytime soon should her other charges be dropped somehow. Vera tapped her fingers on the desk. She turned towards her computer and began typing out a reply to the journalist.  
…

Jake rushed into the hospital and tried to calm himself as he approached the front desk. He smiled at the nurse at the reception desk before taking out his ID badge.

"Good evening," Jake grinned.

The nurse looked up at him, smiling as she looked him up and down.

"Good evening indeed… What can I help you with?"

"I'm here on behalf of Wentworth Correctional Centre," Jake answered, showing her his badge. "I have a message from Governor Bennett for inmate Allie Novak. Could you be a sweetheart and tell me what room she's in, love?"

The nurse giggled as she stood up from the desk and leaned over to use her computer. Jake tapped his fingers on the desk, unable to contain his nerves.

"She's in the H wing of the fourth floor, room 412," the nurse stated, looking back up at Jake and still smiling.

"Thank you," Jake responded, turning to go.

"Hope you stop by again after you're done!"

Jake grinned at her, keeping his fake smile until he was out of her sight. He headed for the elevator, trying his best to not run. Jake darted inside and frantically pressed the button for the fourth floor, keeping his finger on it so the doors wouldn't open on any other floor. Once he arrived at the fourth floor, he ran out, stopping to scan the signs signaling which group of rooms was in which direction. He headed for the H wing of rooms, the 401-412 block, stopping a few feet away when he saw who was guarding it. The officer turned to look at him.

"Jakey!"

The officer walked over to Jake and brought him in for a hug, patting his back. He took Jake's face in his hands and lightly slapped him before ruffling his hair.

"D'you get taller, fucker?" the officer laughed. "Seems like working at a women's prison suits you better than Walford, eh?"

Jake forced a laugh, furious that he might not get to see Allie.

"What are you doing here anyways?"

"I, uh… I have a message for Novak from the governor," Jake replied, pointing towards the door to Allie's room.

"Oh, you're a godsend. I've had to take a dump since this morning, but I'll be back soon. Mind looking out for a bit?"

"…Yeah, yeah sure," Jake nodded.

"Thanks! When I get back I want to hear all about Wentworth. Can't imagine the stories you got from working with those crazy bitches."

Jake forced another small laugh and nodded, as he watched the officer walk away. He was confused as to why a Walford guard would be watching over a Wentworth inmate, but he wasn't about to waste the opportunity he'd been given. He stepped into the room and quietly shut the door behind him.

Jake walked over to Allie, who lay sleeping on her bed. He reached over and yanked her by both her wrists, pulling her up off the bed and throwing her down on the floor, falling on top of her and covering her mouth to stifle her screams. He pulled a needle out of his jacket, bit the cap off of it, spit it out, and held it to Allie's throat.

"I'm gonna move my hand, but if you scream, I will make sure you don't walk out of here alive, do you understand?"

Allie barely nodded, afraid any movement would make the needle come into contact with her skin. She shook as Jake slowly removed his hand from her mouth, but kept the needle close to her throat. He used his right hand to grip her left wrist, hurting her in the process.

"Why the fuck did you red cunts do it? Huh? What, no longer interested in getting rid of fucking Bennett and Jackson now that Smith is dead? Were you just using me?!"

"What are you talking about?!" Allie cried.

"You know what I'm talking about!" Jake barked.

"I swear, I don't know! Please let me go! You're hurting me, Mr. Stewart!"

Jake's breaths came in rapid succession. His face was red as he gripped Allie's wrist tighter and tighter before letting her go. He reached into his pocket and pulled out Kaz's letter, holding it next to Allie's head as he read it, keeping the needle within millimeters of her throat.

"I told the governor everything that the Red Right Hand has been involved in during our time here, as well as who helped us on the outside… Stupid shit, stupid shit, stupid shit… She knows about Screwart's involvement with the laundry room incident. She knows about his involvement with contacting the reporter for Ferguson's version of the story. She knows about his attempts to help us to oust her… More stupid shit… I want to right my wrongs. I did it all for you. All of this was for you, Allie."

Jake tossed the paper aside before grabbing Allie by the neck.

"Tell me why now, you stupid cunt," Jake gritted his teeth.

"You fucking asshole, I don't know!"

"Then why is she taking the fall for you? Huh? Tell me you're not the real leader of those fucking bitches! Go on, tell me!"

"What?!"

"She's taking the fall for you, don't act like you don't know! Just tell me already why you fuckers betrayed me!"

"Listen to me, you shithead, I don't give a flying fuck about your career goals! I defended Bea in the laundry room! Kaz just made me go with her and the rest of the mob, but I had no idea what was going on. Why the fuck would I defend Bea if I knew about and agreed with whatever fucking schemes you, Kaz, and the Freak were planning?!"

Jake slowly loosened his hold on Allie's neck and lowered the needle as his breathing began to stabilize.

"Get the fuck off of me already," Allie demanded as she pushed him and moved out from underneath him.

Allie stood up off the floor, bending over to pick up the letter from Kaz. She began to read it, occasionally looking up to see Jake sobbing and gripping his hair as he leaned against her bed, the syringe still in his hand. When she finished the letter, every emotion from shock to hatred to sorrow hit her at once, but she did her best to keep calm as she looked up at the clock.

"Look… You should get out of here. I won't say anything… By the sound of this letter I'm guessing your time at Wentworth is pretty much over anyways."

Jake looked up at Allie, his eyes and face red all over. He dropped the needle to the floor and pushed himself up to stand as Allie stepped back from him. He breathed through his mouth as he glared at her.

"If I find out you're lying to me…" Jake whispered.

"You're really, really not in a position to be threatening anyone right now, Jakey," Allie interjected as she bent over to pick up the needle and cap it again. "Now get the fuck out of my room."

Jake slowly headed out of Allie's room, quietly shutting the door behind him. Allie dropped the letter on her bed and the needle on top of it before massaging her face with her hands. As she pulled her hands away, Allie realized she was bleeding from her left wrist, the result of Jake burying his fingers into it and tearing open her fresh stitches.

Jake's breathing was still heavy, still fast, as he leaned against the wall outside Allie's room to wait for the Walford officer to return. He ran his fingers through his hair, his mind racing as he tried to figure out what he could possibly do now. He knew he couldn't waste anymore time, as Vera had definitely already planned his future for him. Jake looked up and down the hallways to his right and left, not seeing the Walford officer anywhere. He slammed his fists back against the wall and began to walk away.

As Jake made his way towards the elevator, he stopped in his tracks at the sight of Bea being pushed in a wheelchair out of the elevator. He darted into a supplies closet, leaving the door a little open as he watched her and the nurse pushing her go by, waiting a few seconds before he came out of the closet. Unable to believe it was actually Bea he saw, Jake followed her from a distance, as the nurse pushed her the same way from where he had just come, before stopping in front of Allie's room.

The Walford officer appeared again, looking around for a bit before opening the door to Allie's room and letting Bea inside. Although the most he saw of her as she entered the room was her red hair, Jake knew it was Bea when he saw Allie come forward to hug her. Jake turned around again, beginning to walk back the way he came. After entering the empty elevator, Jake pressed the button for the first floor, a smile creeping over his face as the doors closed.


	14. Chapter 14: Stuck In A Glass Elevator

Sitting in her wheelchair, Bea watched as the nurse bandaged Allie's arm again. She was full of concern and worry, wondering what could have possibly happened to tear Allie's stitches. Allie looked from the nurse to Bea, anxious for the nurse to hurry so she could explain what happened.

"Okay, that should do it. You should be fine now," the nurse stated, as she closed her medical kit. "Be more careful though. Your wounds are healing very well, but that doesn't mean they won't still tear under great pressure."

"Thank you," Bea and Allie responded at the same time.

"If you two need anything, please let us know."

The nurse smiled as she picked up her kit and walked out of the room, quietly shutting the door behind her. Bea sat next to Allie's bed, looking up at her with sadness in her eyes.

"Allie, what happened?"

Allie looked towards the door, as she reached underneath her pillow to pull out Kaz's letter and the needle. She handed both items to Bea whose confusion was evident as she took them from Allie.

"Special Screwart delivery."

"What?"

"The letter's from Kaz. He brought it while you were out and he went batshit crazy on me 'cause he thinks… You should read it."

Allie shifted on the bed to sit as close as possible to Bea, her legs dangling off the edge of it. Bea started to read the letter, her face going from confusion to shock to confusion again.

"I don't… What did he do to you?" Bea asked, anger in her voice.  
"Nothing. I mean he just held me down by my wrist but… He pretty much just threatened me with that needle if I didn't tell him why Kaz stabbed him in the back.

He thought that I would know from the sound of the letter, somehow came to the conclusion that I'm the one actually behind all this shit… What I can't understand is how the hell he ended up with the letter in the first place but…"

"Are you okay?"  
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine now. You should've seen him though, Bea. He was fucking psychotic."  
"So… he's been trying to oust Bennett and Jackson to get a better position than he had at Walford, better than he has at Wentworth, and Kaz helped him so that…"  
"She could oust you. That and this was all back when she thought Jackson raped Ferguson, knew Bennett wanted to keep you in power above all else, and generally wanted you gone altogether… Like, she mentioned to me before how you were all in this together and wanted to take you down a peg but… Fuck, I never thought Kaz would be so hell-bent on taking you all out that she'd work with a screw like Stewart, or a man at all for that matter… I'm guessing Kaz was too ashamed and wanted to leave out of the letter the influence the Freak had on her."

Bea nodded, pain hitting her chest as she recalled seeing Allie in the equipment room after Kaz had drugged her. To Bea, the thought that Kaz would go so far to take her out was more than reasonable, given how she had no issue risking the life of her supposed best friend to get what she wanted.

"When the attack against you in the laundry room failed, he twisted it so that Ferguson looked like the victim and they used that as the first move of who knows how many to make Bennett and the prison look like shit. Can't imagine what else they had planned for Jackson. As for you… Well, pretty evident at this point."

Bea looked down at the letter and the syringe, doing her best not to focus on the worst aspect of Kaz's declaration.

"What are you thinking?" Allie asked, hopping off the bed and crouching down in front of Bea.

Bea took Allie's face in her hands, stroking her cheeks with her thumbs as she gazed into her eyes. Allie placed her hands on Bea's wrists, stroking them with her thumbs as well.

"…We'll tell the governor what happened, okay? Make that snake pay for what he's done."

"Bea… I'd really rather not. Look at what he's been doing this entire time we all thought he was just a weird, flirty screw… I really don't want to have to worry about dealing with him anymore. Besides the governor knows everything already, so he'll be out of our lives by the time we get back to Wentworth."

Bea slowly nodded as a soft smile appeared on her face. Allie rose up to kiss Bea before giving her a hug so strong, she ended up lifting Bea out of her wheelchair as Allie stood back up. Bea held tightly onto her, wondering if Kaz could truly take the fall for all the crimes Allie had committed as part of the Red Right Hand, wondering if Allie could be exculpated for everything that had brought her to Wentworth in the first place, wondering what she could possibly do without Allie there to hold her up anymore.  
…

Jake walked through the door to Vera's office with a smile on his face. He sat down in front of her desk, watching Vera use her computer before she finally turned to face him.

"You wanted to see me, Governor?" Jake asked.

Vera turned the computer monitor in his direction. Jake turned his eyes towards the screen to see the first article regarding Ferguson's attack. Without taking her eyes off him, Vera scrolled through the article before turning to the screen and stopping on the photos of Ferguson.

"Care to explain?" Vera asked, letting go of the mouse and placing her hands on the desk in front of her.

The corners of Jake's mouth turned downwards, as he turned his eyes back to Vera and he began to shake his head.

"What am I supposed to be looking at, Governor?"

"Jake, I know about your involvement with leaking these photos of Ferguson to the press and fabricating a story in order to compromise the image of the prison as well as the administration."

"…That's quite a story you have going there yourself, Governor. Let me know how it turns out."

Jake winked at Vera before pushing himself up to stand, placing his hands in his pockets, and turning to leave.

"Excuse me, where do you think you're going?" Vera stood up from her chair. "This conversation isn't over."

"I have nothing to do with that," Jake said as he gestured towards the computer.

"…Karen Proctor told me everything, from the laundry room incident to taking these pictures to helping her contact …"

"Proctor? Kaz Proctor? The man-hating she-beast? You don't honestly believe her, do you?" Jake snorted.

Vera didn't respond, choosing to wait for what Jake had to say next.

"I have to say that wouldn't be the wisest of moves. I heard what she was trying to get you to do. Wanted you to write a shining statement for Novak to get her time in here reduced or something? Never would have thought I'd be the one blamed for that though…" Jake said, pointing towards the monitor before placing his hand back in his pocket. "But… I guess it makes sense… I'm new, I'm a man, and she took advantage of me wanting a little time with Linda before the whole laundry room mess… But that was the extent of my unprofessionalism. I dismissed what I heard, after all it was just a stupid rumor, and I knew there was no way you would be conned by her like that. She feels guilty about what she did to Smith and what she led Novak to do, and she wants to get her best girl less time to make up for it. It'd be a shame for you to sign off on something like that without consulting me first… I know you're smarter than that, right, Governor?"

Vera's mouth dropped open. She was visibly confused, as she turned to look at the article and then back to Jake, unsure of who or what to believe anymore.

"She gave me your phone… The one you used to take the pictures," Vera stated, as she reached into her desk drawer to pull out the phone Kaz had given her.

"My phone? You mean this one?" Jake smiled, pulling his phone out of his pocket. "I believe you might have been duped, Governor. Thank goodness you talked to me before doing anything rash! Could you imagine if you had suspended or even fired me over these absurd allegations? Now, there's a wrongful termination suit that would've ruined the image of Wentworth!"

Jake laughed and walked out of the office, his head held high. Vera turned back towards the computer, grabbing the mouse as she scrolled through while at the same time massaging her forehead. She gripped the mouse with all her force, before suddenly hurling it across the room.  
…

Sonia stood in Bea's room, looking through her sketchbook and analyzing all the people she had drawn. She looked up at Bea's tackboard, examining every item she had on it. Pictures of the moon. Her drawing of Debbie. A brochure for the cemetery where Debbie was buried. Sonia reached out to grab the cemetery brochure, slightly lifting it and seeing something behind it, but not taking it as she heard the door open. Sonia let go of the brochure and turned towards the door to see Liz who stepped inside.

"Is everything okay?" Liz asked.

Sonia quickly nodded and held the sketchbook up.

"She was quite a talented artist."

"That she was… Sonia, I wanted to thank you for getting the women to submit stories on her behalf."

"Oh, please, that was nothing. Just know that if nothing comes of those testimonies, I'll think of some other way to get her justice."

"And thank you for… If you hadn't gone to look for Allie in the kitchen… You seem to truly care about them both."

Sonia softly nodded as her eyes went back down to the sketchbook, open to the page with the group drawing that included her.

"Why?" Liz asked, looking at the image as well.

Sonia raised her eyes to look at Liz.

"Why what?"

"You just… You're new yet you managed to get so close to Bea in such a short period of time. You didn't have to help her in the laundry room. You didn't have to collect all those testimonies. You didn't have to look out for Allie after… How… Why did you do it?"

A smile appeared over Sonia's face, a hint of amusement visible as she recalled having a similar conversation with Bea regarding her actions in the laundry room, back then not admitting why she truly needed to help her.

"I felt a… connection… to Beatrice… From the first time we spoke I admired her strength, her perseverance. Everything she'd endured, everything she had yet to face, but never once surrendered… despite her world being shattered time and time again…"

Sonia dropped the sketchbook on the bed as she crossed her arms and slowly approached Liz, standing in front of her and leaning in to whisper as she looked directly into her eyes.

"She had to wake up day after day knowing that there were people whose goal was to see her fail, see her bleed, see her pay for things she had never done… And I like to think, Elizabeth, that if I were to ever be in a similar position… having to wake up day after day after day, knowing there was someone a stone's throw away, who was tracking my every move, trying to figure out my every thought, waiting to gauge my every reaction… looking to see me fail, hoping to see me falter, expecting to see me pay for things I'd never done… I like to think that I, too, would be able to do the unimaginable to protect myself and fight back no matter what, just as she did… time and time again."

Liz's eyes shifted looking into Sonia's eyes as she swallowed hard and cleared her throat, unable to hide the fear that Sonia instilled in her. Sonia smiled again.

"To answer your question… Everything's going to be okay."

Liz forced a smile and quickly nodded her head.

"Good… Good, good, well, if you need… You know where to find me, yeah?" Liz stammered nervously.

"Thank you, Elizabeth."

Liz took a few steps away from Sonia, not wanting to turn her back on her. She bumped into the wall as she tried to leave, before exiting Bea's room and quickly shutting the door behind her. Sonia's smile faded, as she walked back to look at the tackboard. She reached for the cemetery brochure again, this time taking it off to see what was behind it. Sonia reached into the indentation that had been carved into the tackboard, pulling out a screwdriver. Sonia held the screwdriver in her clenched fist. She placed the screwdriver in the inside pocket of her cardigan before picking up the sketchbook again and setting it down on Bea's pillow. Sonia crossed her arms again and exited the room, quietly shutting the door behind her.  
…

"No, no, no! That's way too much salt!"

"What are you doing, you fucking idiot, you're going to choke to death!"

Bea and Allie smiled and laughed as they yelled at the television. They sat side by side, leaning against three pillows on Allie's bed as they watched a cooking competition show while finishing their own meals. They shared one bed table, the legs of it sitting on either side of them, each of the women eating from their own tray off the same table. Not taking her eyes off the television, Allie reached for her cup and brought it to her mouth, before realizing she was out of water. Without looking at her, Bea grabbed her cup of water and handed it to Allie, who took it and finished the rest of it before setting it back down on the table.

"Honestly, our hospital food was better than the fuckery this guy is cooking," Allie laughed.

"Honestly, I think our prison food would be better than that disaster," Bea chuckled.

Allie lifted the table and bent over to set it down on the floor next to the bed. She sat back against the pillows, wrapping her right arm around Bea, who leaned into her and rested her head on Allie as she wrapped her arm around her stomach. Allie placed a kiss on the top of Bea's head, as they both leaned back and continued watching.

A few minutes later, the door to their room opened and a nurse and Allie's doctor stepped inside. They all greeted each other, as Allie reached for the remote to shut off the television, as the nurse went to grab the table and trays before walking back out again. The doctor stood at the foot of Allie's bed, speaking as he went through the clipboard containing Allie's medical records.

"Well, congratulations, Allie, looks like we can get you out of here tomorrow afternoon," the doctor smiled, unaware of how bad this news actually was for her.

"What?"

"We'll have you out of here tomorrow. Save for the little stumble that happened, your wounds have healed quite nicely, and I've been told that your mental health counseling sessions are scheduled to take place back at the… back at Wentworth."

Bea tried to move away from Allie and sit up, but Allie held onto her, refusing to let her go. The doctor noticed the concern and sadness in both of the women's faces. He smiled, a little confused by their reactions.

"…I think you're the first patient I've ever had who's responded negatively to being told they get to leave the hospital," the doctor softly chuckled. "Here I thought it'd be a nice birthday present for you!"

"Birthday?" Bea and Allie asked at the same time.

"Yes… Yes, your record indicates tomorrow is your birthday so… Happy early birthday! In any case, if you need anything else, please let us know. I truly hope things get better for the two of you. It's been a pleasure getting to know you both."

The doctor gave them both a small wave before walking back out of the room and shutting the door behind him. Bea and Allie stared at the door for a few seconds before turning to face each other again.

"Why didn't you tell me your birthday was tomorrow?" Bea asked, struggling to sit back up in the bed.  
"I… I swear I didn't know… I had no idea what day tomorrow was. Fuck, I didn't even know what today's date was until now."  
"Really?"  
"Really," Allie chuckled.  
"How could you not know?"  
"I don't know… Never celebrated a birthday and it's not like I have a reason to look at a calendar or anything… Guess my perception of time has gotten a little twisted since getting to Wentworth," Allie softly laughed.

Bea looked away from Allie, sadness overcoming her as she heard her speak. Allie noticed the change in Bea's expression, becoming concerned as she wondered what she could possibly be thinking.

"What?"  
"Nothing," Bea shook her head.  
"Bea… What's wrong?"  
"Nothing."  
"Bea, please talk to me."

Bea looked up at Allie, whose concern was visible in her blue eyes. She softly smiled before leaning in to kiss Allie then hugging her. She pulled away and raised her hands to stroke Allie's face.

"I'll miss you," Bea whispered.  
"You know I'll miss you too, but it's worth it to keep you safe… It's just for a little while longer, okay? Everything's gonna be okay."

They both forced smiles, each doing their best to fight back their tears as they hugged and tried to come to terms with being separated yet again.

…

Vera looked out of the window of her office, staring at the full moon above. She should have left for home by now, but the pressing issue of how to deal with Kaz and Jake was not something she could put off any longer. As she heard her door open, she turned to see Will escort Kaz inside, not saying a single word, just turning to leave again. Will had no idea what was going on, but ever since Vera refused to let him attend Bea's supposed funeral, he no longer questioned any of the governor's actions, choosing to only do as he was told. Vera glared at Kaz, who seemed confused at being brought into the governor's office so late at night.

"What is it?" Kaz asked, not moving away from the door.

"Have a seat," Vera ordered, her hands behind her back.

Kaz hesitated before walking over to sit at the table. Vera approached her and looked down at her.

"You lied to me about Officer Stewart's involvement with the article."

"What?"

"I did a little investigation and it turns out the journalist has written various pieces on how… inspirational the work of the Red Right Hand was. She has no ties whatsoever to Mr. Stewart and…"

"Yeah, I know that. I contacted her, but he was the one to take the pictures and send them her way."

"Stop lying to me."

"I'm not! I was out cold after that whole fucking mess. I didn't take them!"

"Unfortunately there is no distinguishable background in the photos. They could have been taken at any point prior to Ferguson leaving for the hospital, and any one of your crewmembers could have taken them."

Kaz stood up from her chair.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Kaz yelled. "I told you our plan was to work with that asshole to take you, Jackson, and Smith down, back when I thought he was behind Ferguson's rape, when I thought Smith was the reason I was here, and when I thought you were nothing more than her stupid little pawn who'd do whatever you had to in order to keep her in power! Stewart needs you and Jackson gone in order to move up! He fell hard on his face at Walford, but he wasn't about to repeat his mistakes here, so he agreed to help us. For him, Smith was just collateral damage, but we still had the same targets, only different motivations!"

"…The phone does not belong to Mr. Stewart. I know what you're trying to do. I'm sorry your stupidity and selfishness drove Novak to almost kill herself, but it's despicable that you would try to con me in order to right your wrongs."

"Did you even hear me?! Jesus Christ, what the fuck did he say to you?!"

"Will you admit this was all a ruse to absolve yourself and aid Novak?"

"No of course not! You're listening to the wrong person! I contacted the journalist after our initial plan to take out Smith went to shit, yeah, but it was his idea to do so, to use Ferguson's injuries to help her in her case, to make this prison look like a demented shitshow that wanted her dead! How could you possibly believe him over everything I told you?"

"Maybe because you're known to take issue with absolutely any man? Maybe because you feel guilty for having helped out the woman who put you in here and this is how you can get back at her? Maybe because now that you helped kill an innocent woman and almost killed your best friend you need a scapegoat so you can make things right without compromising yourself further?"

Kaz scoffed, beginning to softly laugh as she shook her head.

"…You are so fucking stupid."

Vera slapped Kaz across the face. Kaz raised her hand to her cheek, her breathing quickening as she struggled to not hit Vera back.

"Get the fuck out of my office."

Kaz glared at Vera before lowering her hand from her face and turning to leave the office.

"You're a fucking dumbass, Vinegar Tits!" Kaz yelled as she walked out.

"Slot her, Jackson!" Vera screamed.

Vera walked up to the door and slammed it shut. She walked over to her desk drawer and pulled out the testimonies Sonia had given to her. The more she thought about the statements detailing what happened in the laundry room, the more she believed Jake, especially because she believed he had nothing to gain from helping out Kaz or Ferguson, as Will was his friend and Jake had never done anything out of line as an officer. However, Kaz could get Vera to sign off on Allie's statement of good conduct by turning in one of her officers as leverage instead of just herself, which she knew wouldn't be enough to get Vera's signature. Vera took a deep breath before turning towards her computer. She opened up her email and the draft of the article the journalist had continued to contact her about for approval, something she had still not done. She deleted the draft, deleted the draft of her response, deleted the original email, and decided to leave well enough alone because at this point, she could face adverse consequences no matter whose version of the truth she decided to believe and act on.  
…

"Allie…"

Allie stirred in her sleep as she felt a hand stroking her right leg.

"Allie…"

Allie slowly opened her eyes, bringing her hands up to rub them as she sat up in her bed.

"Happy birthday, princess."

Bea was sitting at the foot of Allie's bed, resting back against the footboard and holding out a white cupcake with an unlit red candle in her right hand. Allie softly laughed, surprise and gratitude emanating from her eyes.

"Bea… How did… When did you… Thank you," Allie whispered as she fought back her tears.

Allie moved her blanket aside and scooted as close as possible to Bea as she held the cupcake in front of her, bringing a lighter she held in her left hand to the candle and lighting it. Bea placed the lighter back down on the bed before holding the cupcake out to Allie.

"Make a wish," Bea smiled.

Bea and Allie gazed at one another, the candle's flame reflected in their eyes, the twinkling in their eyes becoming a mix of tears and the moonlight that came into their dark room. Allie smiled as she leaned in to softly blow out the candle, tears finally escaping from her eyes as she placed her hands on Bea's face and pulled her in to kiss. Bea lowered the cupcake and placed her left hand on Allie's neck, unable to hold back her own tears either. They kissed tenderly, softly, before Allie pulled away and rested her forehead against Bea's forehead, looking down at the cupcake but not taking her hands off of Bea's face.

"Will you run away with me?" Allie whispered as she stroked Bea's cheeks.

"…What?"

Allie lifted her head to look Bea in the eyes.

"Will you run away with me?"

"Allie… I'm… I'm not capable of…"

"I'll… I'll get rid of the guard. I'll steal a nurse's uniform to disguise myself, an ambulance if I have to, there's a way to get out, Bea… Let's get out. Let's get out of this place."

"Allie," Bea sadly smiled. "I don't want you to have to run for the rest of your life…"

"Bea, I can't lose you again. I can't be without you. I don't care about being free. I just… I just want to be with you."

"Hey, hey, hey," Bea brought in Allie for a hug as the girl cried. "It's just for a little while longer, okay? You're not going to lose me. I'm not leaving you. It's gonna be okay."

Bea pulled away from Allie and handed her the cupcake, trying her best to distract her as her words hurt her as much as they hurt Allie. Allie took it with her right hand, still smiling, still crying. Bea reached underneath her left thigh before taking Allie's left hand in hers. She began to slowly place a silver band on Allie's left ring finger as she spoke.

"I promise… to care for you, to protect you, and to be with you… always."

Allie broke down crying, but still smiling as she looked at her left ring finger. Allie leaned in to kiss Bea, slowly moving her fingers to interlock them with Bea's. She pulled away but continued to gaze into her eyes.

"I promise… to support you, to defend you, and to wait for you… always."

"I love you, Allie."

"I love you, Bea."

Allie wrapped her left arm around Bea's waist, as she leaned back down on the bed, pulling Bea back with her, as she reached her right arm out to place the cupcake on the bedside table. She reached down to straighten Bea's legs out so she lay on top of her, while kissing her neck at the same time. Allie reached around and pulled loose the strings holding Bea's white gown closed. Allie pulled it off of her, reaching in between them to pull it out from under Bea and toss it to the side. As Allie electrified her skin with her fingers, Bea brought her lips to Allie's ear.

"I'm sorry that I can't…" Bea whispered.

"Shh, shh, I know, it's okay… I just… I just need to feel you again," Allie whispered as her tongue grazed Bea's earlobe.

Allie reached down to push Bea's panties down as far as she could with her hands, before slightly lifting Bea up by the waist, and raising her own leg to bring  
them down the rest of the way with her foot and kick them away. Even though she felt she was physically incapable of doing anything with Allie, Bea could not hide the powerful effect Allie had on her regardless. Her heart began to pound against her chest as Allie ran her fingers up and down her neck, her shoulders, her arms, and her back, no longer feeling her when she passed over the wound that had changed her life. She felt Allie's hands again when she brought them in between their two bodies to caress her breasts. Despite being lost in her touch and in their kiss, Bea wanted to feel Allie again as well.

Bea broke away from Allie and pushed herself up with her hands, lying down on her side next to Allie before reaching down to move her immovable legs with her so she could lay on her back. Bea softly grabbed Allie by her bandaged wrists, signaling for her to lie on top of her. Allie did so, before bringing her lips to Bea's ear.

"You don't have to do anything…" Allie whispered.

Bea took Allie's face in her hands and looked at her, smiling as she brushed her thumb over Allie's bottom lip.

"I know… I want to."

Bea brought Allie's face down and ran her tongue up Allie's neck, stopping to suck on Allie's earlobe, a small act that caused Allie to sigh deeply. Bea reached her hands around and began to undo Allie's gown, carefully pulling apart the two knots that held it closed. Allie sat up as she pulled the gown off of her and toss it aside, only to have Bea immediately cover her breasts with her hands. Allie threw her head back, her body beginning to tremble as Bea traced her nipples and began to massage her breasts. As much as Bea wanted to take them into her mouth, she knew there was something else that she needed to do as she felt Allie on  
her abdomen, soaking through her panties.

Bea ran her hands down Allie's torso and tugged at Allie's panties, pulling them down as Allie slightly raised herself and straightened her legs on either side of Bea to allow her to take them off. As Allie lowered herself back onto Bea, moaning and wetting the woman's torso as she straddled her, Bea placed her hands on Allie's lower back, gripping her, before suddenly and effortlessly pulling her up her body and burying her face in between her legs.

Allie cried out at the sudden and electrifying contact as she gripped the headboard of the hospital bed to keep her balance. Bea smiled as she smoothly dragged her tongue up and down Allie, only pausing to begin sucking on and licking her clit. She ran her hands up and down her thighs, as Allie clenched them on either side of her head, unable to contain herself as she lowered her left hand to grab a fistful of Bea's hair and began to grind against her. Their breaths came in rapid succession, as Allie alternated between groaning, gasping, and moaning, as Bea alternated between kissing her, licking her, and breathing into her, the last act becoming increasingly difficult as Allie's thrusts became harder, stronger, and faster.

Bea ran her right hand up Allie's thigh, up her body, to grab her breast and massage it. Allie let go of Bea's hair as she placed her own left hand over Bea's right hand that continued to stimulate her breast. Bea let go of Allie's thigh and reached underneath her with her left hand, spreading her lips apart and running her tongue up and down Allie before pushing it inside of her, burying it as far into her as she could. Allie suddenly stopped moving, gripped Bea's hand, held onto her hair, as she stopped breathing, shut her eyes tight, arched her back, threw her head back, and cried out, as her entire body shook from the overpowering orgasm that hit her.

"Bea…"

Allie let go of Bea and dropped forwards, holding onto the headboard as she tried to stabilize her breathing again. She moved away from Bea and lied down on top of her again, placing a kiss on her forehead as she raised her hands to caress her face. Allie ran her thumb over Bea's bottom lip before bringing her lips down to meet hers. Exhausted and out of breath, Allie wrapped her arms around Bea and nuzzled her neck. Bea hugged Allie with her arms as tightly as possible, as she affectionately stroked her back with her left hand.

"I love you, Bea…" Allie whispered, smiling as she closed her eyes.

Bea turned in Allie's direction, placing a kiss on the top of her head as she looked out the window, the light from the full moon sparkling in her eyes.

"I love you, Allie… to the moon and back."


	15. Chapter 15: Love & Hate

"Okay so now that it's filled out, I'll draw a spiral until you tell me to stop, got it?" Allie asked as she showed Bea her notebook. "But you have to look away for it to count."

"Okay," Bea laughed, as she turned towards the ceiling and covered her eyes.

Allie smiled as she shuffled closer on Bea's bed and leaned in to give her a small kiss on the neck, causing Bea to giggle.

"Okay, ready to let the all-knowing game of MASH predict your future?"  
"Ready."  
"And… I'm drawing."

Allie began to draw a spiral on the page. Bea waited a few seconds, listening to the pen trace the paper.

"Okay, stop."

Allie stopped drawing as Bea looked back down at the page.

"Nice, so now we count how many lines the spiral has. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, okay, Bea, so your magic number is seven. Now we use this number to go through where you'll live, what you'll drive, how many kids you'll have, and most importantly, who you'll end up with, knocking each item out one at a time until you're left with one choice for each category. Ready to cement your life?" Allie smiled.

Bea chuckled and nodded her head. She leaned on Allie's shoulder as Allie made her way through the different categories of the game.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven… Okay good, you're not marrying Jackson, well I could've told you that… Oooh, no Lamborghini for you, sorry, that seemed so possible… Mmkay five kids sounded like a lot of work anyways… Ah, no mansion, well yeah I mean maybe if you had five kids that would be necessary but otherwise it's just a shit ton of pointless maintenance…"

Bea couldn't help but laugh as Allie commented on each item that was eliminated. As she finished the game and had circled the items that won out each category, a beaming smile came over Allie's face as she brought the notebook closer to Bea.

"So, let's see then. You'll live in a house, which seems like the most reasonable choice for your lifestyle. You get to drive a motorcycle, which is great because I can't drive anyways and always wanted to ride in one of those little sidecars. You will obviously end up with me, which I never doubted, but it's always good to have it in writing as a backup. Annnd we'll have one kid together."

"It's two," Bea chuckled, pointing towards the number determining how many kids were in her future.  
"Right. One to go," Allie smiled.

Bea's eyes began to sparkle as she looked at Allie. She placed her hand on Allie's neck and brought her in for a kiss before letting go and hugging her. Allie looked back down at the notebook.

"Okay, so, are you taking my last name? Bea Novak has a nice ring to it. Or am I taking yours? I'd be down for Allie Smith, it sounds like just one name if you say it really fast. Or should we be progressive and overwrite who we were and combine our last names to form one new super name like… Novith or… Smovak?"

They both broke out laughing as Allie signed her name below the game. Before she could write Bea's, she took the pen from her and signed below Allie's. Allie took the pen back and drew a heart around their current names. As she tore out the page to give to Bea, the door to their room opened and a nurse walked in.

"Ready for your therapy?" the nurse asked, smiling as she stood behind the wheelchair.

Bea looked at Allie, who stood up from the bed.

"Isn't it a little early?" Bea asked, looking at the clock. "Can't I wait for Allie to…"

"Hey, it's okay, no worries. Come on."

Allie lifted Bea off her bed and gently brought her down into the wheelchair next to the bed. Allie looked up at the nurse, gesturing and quietly asking for a moment alone with Bea. The nurse nodded and smiled as she walked back out. Allie crouched down in front of Bea, taking the page from her hands and placing it on the bed, before taking Bea's hands into her own.

"We can do this, right? Just a little longer and it'll all be over."

Bea nodded as her eyes began to sparkle again. Allie smiled softly and rose up to give Bea a kiss. As she pulled away, Bea took Allie's face in her hands.

"Wait for me, okay?" Bea asked.

"Always," Allie answered.

They hugged one another, both women holding on as if they would never see each other again. Allie forced herself to break from Bea's hold, releasing the locks from the chair and pushing Bea towards the door. She opened it and pushed Bea out into the hallway, the guard immediately stopping Allie from stepping through the door. The nurse took hold of Bea's chair and pushed her down the hallway. Allie gave her a small wave as she saw Bea turn to look back at her before the guard closed the door to the room.  
…

"Good work, Vera!"

Vera stopped walking and turned to see Channing approaching her, a giant smile on his face.

"Excuse me?"

Channing kept walking towards her office, and she followed alongside him.

"I read the new article. Your favorite reporter contacted me to apologize and ask for my blessing to publish the new one. Fantastic work!"  
Channing sat down in Vera's chair, placing his hands behind his head, as Vera stood in front of her desk, surprised that the reporter had gone over her head to obtain permission to publish the article. Vera recalled that the article didn't mention Jake at all. She still didn't know if this was because the reporter wanted to repair the damage made to the image of the prison staff and administration from the first article or if it was just because Jake was never involved in anything related to the attack.

"Yes good… I still… I still don't think that may have been the full story…" Vera replied.

"Doesn't matter anymore. Point is Ferguson can't keep shitting on us all now that her real actions and intentions were publicized and can't keep claiming we're out for her blood. I think it's safe to say we can bring Smith back."

"…I'm not sure that's such a good idea. You know what Ferguson is capable of…"

"It's fine. You have a team of officers watching her like hawks, right? You've moved her as far away as possible from the red hand bitches, right? I've been hearing how things have gotten… rowdy… without Smith here."

Channing raised his eyebrows in Vera's direction. Vera looked towards the window then down at the floor, annoyed that one or maybe various of her officers had gone to tell Channing of the recent problems the prison had been dealing with during Bea's absence, namely an increase in drug smuggling, the hallucinogenic trips of three inmates, and instability as women from different crews tried to overpower one another through bashings and gangings to take on the role of top dog, none of them actually succeeding.

"Things are fine… Derek, thanks to the testimonies the women submitted Ferguson was charged with attempted murder. She is the only other person in this prison who knows Smith is alive. Nils Jesper was annihilated by her legal counsel on the stands before Smith could even contribute. The court needs a few days to prepare their arguments before Smith can appear to testify for the new charges. Smith holds Ferguson's future in her hands and she knows that. We can't expect that Ferguson will just let Smith…"

"Look, Vera, Smith is going to be fine. Her attack riled up the other inmates to speak on her behalf. I doubt they'll let anything happen to her. We have witness testimonies. We have footage of the mess hall. Ferguson's finally done for. Smith won. She can come back to retake the reins."

"She's in a wheelchair for Christ's sake!"

"Her doctor is optimistic about her level of progress."

"She's regaining sensation in her legs, but she still can't stand or walk on her own! She's weak and vulnerable right now! Why can't we just let her stay a few more days to progress with her physical therapy then bring her back after her testimony? She receives more care there than she will here. Right now it's better for her to just focus on getting better. She doesn't need to…"

"Wentworth needs her. The women listen to her, respect her, so before things descend into nastier shit I would love for them to have her back. Maybe piss their pants a bit when they think she's come back from the dead to haunt the prison."

Channing laughed and stood up from the chair, making his way towards the door before stopping to look at Vera.

"Go get her as soon as possible. Fear is the only thing these women respond to. Time to show them that it's best not to piss off an immortal."

Channing smiled and gave Vera a small wave before walking out of the office. Vera sighed deeply, unwilling to call the transport van that was sent for Allie to pick Bea up as well, realizing that it would be best for her to get in a little more peace before she had to return to her chaos.  
…

Allie placed the candle from the cupcake Bea had given her as far as she could inside the cast covering her left arm. She then threw on her hoodie and zipped it up, feeling a strange warmth upon being back in her teal uniform. She put her hands in her pockets as she turned around to see her doctor walk in with a blanket and a Wentworth officer walk in with a wheelchair. Allie looked from the chair to the two men.

"What's that for?"

"Sorry, Allie. Given your injuries we still can't risk handcuffing you so…"

The doctor turned towards the officer who pulled leg cuffs out of his pocket. Allie scoffed, shaking her head.

"What's the chair for then? I can walk fine with those things."

"Mostly for the other patients," the doctor replied, handing her the blanket.

"Oh… they'd be scared of me, wouldn't they?" Allie laughed.

"…Sorry, Allie."

Allie shook her head and took the blanket. She sat down in the wheelchair and watched as the officer cuffed her legs. Allie unfolded the blanket and draped it over her legs, feet, and cuffs, interlocking her hands and resting them in her lap.

As the officer pushed her towards the elevator, Allie looked up and down the hallways, observing the different patients, nurses, and doctors, all immersed in their own little worlds. As the elevator doors closed, Allie looked down at her ring, realizing that she still needed to hide it in order to get it past security and into the prison.

Once on the first floor, a nurse accompanied them outside as the officer pushed her out towards the parking lot, stopping behind the transport van. Allie stood up from the wheelchair and entered the van, having to sit on the edge of it, turn around, and then have the officer help her stand up from inside. She took a seat and leaned back against the wall as she watched the nurse take the wheelchair before the officer hopped down from the van and closed the doors. The engine started and the van began to move. Allie took a deep breath, looking down at her ring and remembering the night she had with Bea, smiling as she realized she would always look forward to her birthday from now on.

Allie closed her eyes and threw her head back, every moment she had spent with Bea racing through her mind. To her it seemed like they had shared a lifetime together. The thought of getting a shorter sentence because of Kaz's attempt to take the fall for her worried her. She didn't want a shorter sentence. She had nothing or no one outside of prison, and she couldn't begin to imagine having her time with Bea cut short because Kaz felt guilty for everything she had done. Allie tried to come up with possible scenarios as to how to avoid a shorter sentence. Maybe she could tell the judge Kaz and the governor were both lying. Maybe she could cause a ruckus during her sentencing that might make the judge reconsider her time. She wasn't sure yet, so for the time being, she would only focus on the time she would spend with Bea as soon as Ferguson's trial was over, free from worry, danger, and fear.

Allie's eyes shot wide open as the van crashed and flipped over, smashing her head as she landed on the ceiling of the van that was now beneath her. Beginning to bleed, Allie tried to push herself up as she heard shouting outside, but struggled to keep her eyes open as her sight became cloudy and blurry. The last thing she saw was the door of the van being opened, a masked figure climbing inside as she closed her eyes. The last thing she heard was a gunshot.

…

Bea entered her room, a feeling of sadness overcoming her as she realized she no longer shared it with Allie. She headed for the space between her and Allie's bed. As she ran her hand over the covers of Allie's bed, she felt a lump near the foot of it. Bea reached underneath the cover to pull out the lighter, turning it over in her fingers and beaming with joy as she remembered the night she had with Allie. She then turned towards her own bed and picked up the page of the game they had played. As silly as it was, as impossible as it was, Bea wanted nothing more than for that future to come true. She smiled as she went through the different categories, two tears falling from her eyes onto the page.

"Fuck," she said as she wiped her eyes with her hand.

As Bea blew lightly on the page, hoping to dry the stain, the door to her room opened and Franky stepped inside, holding two granola bars and plopping down on Bea's bed, her legs dangling off the edge.

"How'd it go, Red?" Franky asked as she handed a granola bar to Bea before unwrapping her own.

Bea took the granola bar and stared at it, a glowing smile appearing over her face as she shook her head and looked back up at Franky, who was smiling as well.

"It was perfect, Franky… I… She was so… Happy."

"I'll bet," Franky chuckled. "I don't know why you made us get her a ring. Pretty sure she would've been fine with you tying a strand of your hair around her finger."

Bea laughed as she placed the page in her lap face down and unwrapped the granola bar, bringing it to her mouth to take a bite out of.

"What's this?" Franky asked.

"Franky, no!"

Franky grabbed the paper and smiled as Bea tried to take it back from her, failing to do so as Franky lied back down on the bed and read through it as she held it out of her reach, as Bea tugged at her pants and her jacket.

"Oh I see, it's your marriage license," Franky smiled as she sat back up and placed the page on the bed next to her. "So what does it feel like being Mrs. Novak?"

Bea shook her head and laughed as she rubbed her face, unable to erase her smile, unable to hide her happiness. As she opened her mouth to speak again, the door to the room opened again. Will stood in the doorway as he stared from Bea to Franky, as Franky and Bea looked from him to each other.

"…Hey, Mr. J," Franky finally spoke, breaking the silence.

Bea looked around the room, unsure of why he was here or what she should do or what she could possibly say as Will stared at her, his eyes watering, a smile appearing on his face.

"Bea…" he said as he stepped over to hug her.

A little shocked at first, Bea softly laughed as she brought her arms around to hug Will as well. Franky raised her eyebrows in her direction.

"Hey, Mr. Jackson," she whispered.

As Will pulled away from her, he finally noticed Franky, giving her a quiet greeting before stepping away from them.

"I can't… I can't believe it's… it's actually true," he stammered.

"Governor finally let you in on it then?" Bea asked.

"Yeah she, uh… Yeah," Will nodded, unable to contain his smile.

"Why though?" Franky asked, rising from the bed and standing next to Bea. "I mean, don't get me wrong it's not that I'm not happy to see you, but… I thought the plan was to keep this one dead until the Freak's trial."

"Uh, there's been a change to that plan… Governor wants you back, well, the board does, so she sent me to get you."

A look of puzzlement came over the faces of Bea and Franky as they looked at each other before looking back at Will.

"…While Ferguson is still at Wentworth… and Red is in a wheelchair… Are you trying to kill her?"

"It's out of the governor's hands. Things have gotten… difficult since… Board reckons it'll calm down once you're back, Bea."

"You don't possibly expect her to go back as top dog, do you?"

"Vera and I don't, but… according to her doctor she's showing signs of improvement and…"

"Yeah, she can jerk her legs every once in a while, doesn't mean she can stand on her own two feet. You take her back, she might not…"

"Franky, it's okay."

"No, it's not fucking okay! Ferguson is gonna kill you. With all the statements the women gave against her, she's fucked. She can't get out of the attempted murder charge and she knows that. You're all that stands between her and her freedom, and she's not gonna let you just roll on in to the courthouse!"

"Franky, this is what the board decided. There's a team of officers watching Ferguson, and we'll keep her as far away from you as possible, Bea."

"As possible? Look, Mr. J, I'm sorry, but the screws are corrupt and easily manipulated and…"

"Watch it, Franky, you're talking about my colleagues and…"

"Yeah, incompetent fuckers who obviously won't protect this woman! She's not safe there and if something happens to her…"  
Bea grabbed Franky's hand.

"Franky, it's okay. It's gonna be okay. If they've made the decision already there's nothing we can do."

"Red… She's gonna come after you."

"It's okay. It's only for a few more days and then this will all be over."

Bea squeezed Franky's hand and looked around the room.

"I just need a few minutes to gather my stuff."

Will nodded as he turned to step back out of the room.

"You're fucking crazy," Franky said as she watched Bea make her way towards the bathroom.

Franky massaged her face, contemplating the fatal mistake the board was making by sending Bea back in her current state. She looked around the room before making her way over to a chair near the window and grabbing the bag filled with Bea's belongings.

"What the fuck, Red, your shit's already packed," Franky called out as she looked through Bea's bag.

"Franky, can you help me?" Bea responded from the bathroom.

Franky threw the bag back down in the chair and walked towards the bathroom to see that Bea had already switched out of her hospital gown and back into her white undershirt and her teal shirt, her pants pulled up to her knees. Franky walked over and wrapped her arms around Bea, slightly lifting her from her chair, as Bea reached down and pulled her pants the rest of the way up.

"Thank you," Bea said.

Franky set her back down, but kept her arms around her, tightening her hold and refusing to let her go. Bea placed a kiss on Franky's cheek as she wrapped her arms around her as well, squeezing her eyes shut tight to keep herself from crying as she realized she no longer knew when she would see Franky again.  
…

Jake pulled the car to the side of the road, unable to proceed as the police had blocked off the rest of the street. He and Vera stepped out of the car, and after showing their identifications to an officer, they made their way towards the wrecked and turned over transport van.

"What happened?" Vera asked as she looked around.

The officer she had asked looked at them before beginning to walk away, as Vera and Jake followed him.

"No witnesses, but we've determined that the prison van was intentionally crashed into. We would've called it a hit and run, but…"

The officer stopped in front of a body bag on the ground, evidently holding a person. He leaned over and unzipped it.

"As you can see, whoever did this wanted to kill whoever was inside."

Vera and Jake stepped over to the body. Vera covered her mouth when she saw the Wentworth officer who had a bullet through his head, his throat slit, and his shirt torn open, the letters RRH written across his chest in red ink.

"Any clue as to what RRH could mean?" the officer asked, taking out a small notepad.

"Red Right Hand," Jake immediately responded. "That sexist, misandrist group intent on destroying men."

"Oh I remember hearing about them…" the officer replied as he wrote something down.

"Where's the inmate?" Vera asked, looking around in the hopes she wouldn't see another body bag.

The officer looked up from his notepad and looked around the area as well.

"We're not sure. We found blood in the back of the van we believe to be hers but there was no other trace of her. Even the vehicle that managed to wreck the van disappeared."

"Governor, which inmate was being transported?" Jake asked.

"Novak. Allie Novak was being taken back to Wentworth from the hospital," Vera stated as she watched the officer write down the information.

The color drained from Jake's face when he heard her response.

"Is she affiliated with the Red Right Hand?" the officer asked.

"She… She's their second-in-command," Jake responded.

"Former second-in-command," Vera added.

"So it's safe to assume this was a planned escape then?" the officer asked.

Jake nodded as Vera shook her head.

"Okay well, if you don't mind I'd like to ask you a few questions about the prisoner…"

"Just a second," Vera responded.

Vera pulled her phone out of her pocket and walked away from them, leaving Jake to discuss Allie with the officer. She dialed a number and waited for a response.

"Will? Are you with Smith?... Okay, don't let her out of your sight for a second… Just get her back to Wentworth, and I repeat do not let her out of your sight until she's back in her unit… I'll explain later."

Vera hung up the phone as she walked towards the back of the van. Standing a couple of feet away, she was still able to see the blood on the ceiling of the van and the inside of the doors. Vera massaged her face, trying to process the situation, trying to decide whom she should interrogate first about what had happened to Allie – Kaz, her closest friend, the leader of the Red Right Hand intent on getting Allie out of prison no matter what, or Bea, her lover, the expert in creating diversions and calculating every last action in order to escape prison by any means necessary.

…

Bea sighed in relief as Will pushed her past the strip search room, thankful that she wasn't searched upon returning to the prison. As they made their way towards H block, they ran into Miles, who froze in horror at the sight of Bea.

"What the fuck…" Miles muttered as she took a step back.

"Let the rest of the officers know, Linda," Will ordered.

As they went towards her, Miles pulled out her radio and moved back against the wall, trembling as she struggled to operate it and ultimately dropping it on the floor. As Bea went by her, she leaned over to pick it up, smirking as she returned it to a shaking Miles.

The women they went past all reacted in a similar fashion to Miles, most either screaming in shock or backing away in fear. The few that approached Bea were kept at a distance by Will, who simply told them that yes, she was alive, no, she was not a ghost coming back to haunt Wentworth, and maybe, they should think twice before trying to cross her, as they can see that she's capable of surviving anything and could possibly outlast any one of them.

Bea was relieved when she finally made it to H1. Will let go of her chair and stood in front of her.

"You gonna be okay?" Will asked, even though deep down he knew the answer was a resounding no.

Bea looked up at him then around her empty block, before slowly nodding her head and smiling. Will smiled back, placing a hand on Bea's shoulder and squeezing it before he walked out of the block. Bea took a deep breath as she looked around the block again, before looking up at the clock and realizing her crew was at dinner. As she placed her hands on the wheels of her chair and pushed herself forward in the direction of her room, the door to Sonia's room opened. Bea stopped and watched as Sonia walked out, looking down at the glasses she was cleaning with a lens cloth.

Sonia placed her glasses back on and turned to look at Bea, a small smile appearing on her face at the sight of Sonia, the woman who had defended her in the laundry room, who had given her a remedy for her burns, who had written and collected testimonies to speak of what Ferguson had done to her. Bea expected her to scream, to back away, to show confusion or fear, but all Sonia did was walk towards Bea and lean down to embrace her. Bea hugged her back, grateful that she finally met someone who was not afraid of her, but who was simply happy to have her back.

As Bea explained to Sonia what had been going on, Maxine, Liz, Boomer, and Doreen all ran into H1. Liz and Maxine smiled, beginning to cry as they walked over to hug Bea. Boomer and Doreen stood back, both still afraid and attempting to process the fact that Bea was still alive. As Bea repeated a summary of the events to the rest of the women of H1, restraining herself from giving away too much information in the presence of anyone other than Maxine, Liz, and Sonia, crowds after crowds of women arrived at her block, all wanting to confirm with their own eyes what they had heard. At first Maxine, Boomer, and even Doreen stood their ground in front of Bea, refusing to let the women come near her. However, no one arrived with bad intentions, as most just wanted to see that Bea was alive. Many arrived with tokens of appreciation, anything from snacks to hygiene products to magazines. The women barely managed to greet her, still in shock that Bea was actually alive, but none of them dared ask her why she was in a wheelchair, as most could either figure it out given they all knew what happened in the mess hall or simply refused to ask a question that might irritate or unsettle their seemingly invincible top dog.

As the hour passed, women began to visit less frequently, something that relieved Bea as she was anxious to find and surprise Allie before the head count. After arguing with her friends to leave the block alone, Bea left H1, leaving the women to sort through all the items that had been given to her. Bea made her way towards H3, entering and seeing Kaz in her room, laying on her back and covering her eyes with her hands, quietly crying into them. Bea looked towards Ferguson's room to see that it was now empty. She went towards Allie's room, disappointment hitting her when she realized Allie was not around.

As Bea made her way back out towards the exit, Kaz grabbed the handles of her wheelchair, thrusting it forwards and throwing Bea onto the floor. Kaz pushed the wheelchair aside as she turned Bea over and fell on top of her, beginning to strangle her.

"Where is she?!" Kaz gritted her teeth.

Bea struggled to breathe, finding it nearly impossible to speak.

"What… What are you… talking… about?"

"Where is Allie?!"

Bea tried to shake her head, as she struggled to pull Kaz's wrists away from her. Bea finally succeeded in doing so, before quickly letting go of Kaz's left wrist as her right hand shot up to punch Kaz in the face, knocking her back onto the floor. Bea struggled to sit up, placing her hands behind her on the floor for support, attempting to speak as she knew this was probably not a fight she could win in her current state.

"I don't know! I came here to look for her!" Bea yelled as she coughed.

Kaz sat up, holding her hand to her bloody nose.

"You're a fucking liar. You planned all this. Why the fuck did you leave her alone and not just go with her if you love her so much?!"

Confusion came over Bea's face, as she tried to understand what Kaz was talking about.

"Kaz, what's going on?" Bea finally asked, trying to stabilize her breathing.

"Don't act like a dumbass, just tell…"

"Kaz, I swear to you I have no idea what you're talking about. Allie was with me at the hospital, but she left this afternoon…"

"She never came back!" Kaz cried out.

Bea's heart sank, the worry and concern that hit her becoming immediately evident in her eyes.

"…What?"

"She never came back! Her van was crashed into, the guard was killed, and no one knows where she is! So you still gonna say you have no idea what happened?"

Bea stared at Kaz who glared back at her. Bea reached over to grab her wheelchair and set it back up, locking it in place before dragging herself towards it and climbing into it. She released the locks on it, giving Kaz one last look before she left H3. Kaz massaged her face as she began to cry again, unaware that she was spreading the blood from Bea's strike over her face as she did so.


	16. Chapter 16: Waiting

Jake walked into C block, accidentally bumping into a couple of women as he made his way through the halls, completely distracted and not paying attention to his environment. He finally made it to C3, stepping inside and relieving the current officer of his duty. This wasn't Jake's shift, but being the head of Ferguson's 24/7 watch team, he knew he only had a few minutes before the actual guard on duty was set to arrive. Jake watched the current officer leave as he looked around the empty unit before stepping into Ferguson's room and closing the door behind him.  
Ferguson sat on her bed, breathing heavily as she stared blankly ahead. At first Jake didn't think she had noticed him, but as he opened his mouth to speak, Ferguson interrupted him.

"Smith is back," Ferguson quietly announced.

Jake opened his mouth to speak again, but words escaped him.

"Jake… Why is Smith back?"

"I… I'm sorry, Joan, I think there was a… mistake and… they took Allie instead."

"How is that possible, Jake?" Ferguson asked, rising from her bed and walking to stand directly in front of him.

"I… I don't know… I just… I'm not sure what happened but…"

Suddenly and without warning, Ferguson struck Jake across his face. Jake fell back against the door from the force of her hit, grabbing his cheek as he turned to look back at Ferguson.

"Do you know why I entrusted you with this task, Jake?" Ferguson asked as she stepped closer to him. "After losing Kaz's support, I still saw potential in you. I believed you to be capable, clever, and… crafty. Yet here we are, here Bea Smith is, ready and willing to challenge me one last time, and I can admit that if I do not do something drastic, she will be my downfall. However, Jake, you should be aware that now, she will be yours as well."

Jake clenched his fists, looking around the room as he tried to think of what he could possibly do now. Ferguson was right. All he wanted to do was help with her exoneration, help her rise back to the top, so he could rise with her. At this point, he was in too deep, and if she fell, he would go down with her.

"What are you planning to do to rectify this fatal error?"

"Joan, I… I'm sorry, but I don't know."

"Where did your men take her?"

"I don't…I think… They operate out of a warehouse not too far from the docks."

"Near the port?"

"Yes… Being close to the bay makes for easy… disposal… But, but that doesn't matter anymore. I'll get your money back, Joan, I promise. Allie wasn't your problem, she was mine."

"She is a shared problem."

"…Whatever the case may be, I'm done, Joan. I only agreed to help you take care of Bea, but I can't have Allie killed. She hasn't done anything. I have to let her go. And… And I'm done with all of this afterwards. I'll take whatever punishment I have to, but I can't keep doing this. It isn't worth it anymore. I'm sorry."

"Excuse me?"

"Joan, I can't… I can't keep helping you anymore. Let's face it. Bea won. You're under constant watch now. They won't let Bea anywhere near you, and if anything does happen to her, you'll be the only suspect at this point. I don't know, maybe she's made a pact with the devil to keep getting away, but I'm done with her and…"

A radio call interrupted Jake, as Vera requested for an officer to bring Bea to her office.

"That very well may explain how Smith keeps coming back…" Ferguson began as she looked at his radio. "However, Allie is another story."

"…What?"

Ferguson smirked as she reached into Jake's pockets, pulling out his phone from his right one. She walked away from him and towards the window as she began to use it. Jake walked up to the sink, turned the water on, and splashed his face three times before running his wet hands through his hair. He leaned over the sink and turned his head to face Ferguson, upset with himself and terrified for having gotten so deeply involved with her schemes in order to exonerate her and help him rise through the ranks along her side.

Jake turned to look at himself in the mirror, unable to recognize the person who looked back at him. He gritted his teeth as his breathing quickened, as his eyes reddened, the sound of Ferguson clicking away on his phone's keyboard further infuriating him. Suddenly, Jake lifted his right hand, clenched his fist, and punched the mirror, shattering it into pieces with his force. Ferguson looked up at him and scoffed before going back to the phone, ignoring Jake's pain as he sat down on her bed, holding his right hand as he bled out from it and onto the floor.

…

Bea threw the door to the governor's office open. Vera looked up at the clock before turning towards the detective standing next to her.

"That was fast…" Vera muttered as she rose from her chair.

"What's going on?" Bea asked as she moved closer to the desk.

"Bea Smith?" asked the detective.

"What's going on with Allie? What happened?"

"I was about to ask you the same question."

Bea looked from the detective to Vera.

"…The fuck is this? Governor, I just talked to Kaz, and she told me…"

"Smith, Detective Deacon here would like to ask you some questions regarding Novak."

"Okay, and I would like to know what's…"

"You two are romantically involved, correct?" Deacon interrupted, leaning against Vera's desk.

Bea took a deep breath, rolling her eyes and realizing she had to answer his questions in order to get more information on Allie.

"…Yes."

"And you knew she was going to be released from the hospital today, correct?"

"Yes. This afternoon during my physical therapy session… Why are you asking me all of this?"

"Ms. Smith, I just want to get to the bottom of all this."

Bea looked from him to Vera again, who stared Bea down. Bea scoffed as she realized what was going on.

"I don't know anything about it, okay?" Bea stated, looking directly at Vera. "I deeply care for her, and I would never, ever do anything to risk her safety."

"While that may be true, I'm familiar with your past… stunts. You deliberately harmed yourself to end up in the hospital without handcuffs so you could escape, correct?" Deacon asked, moving to stand next to Bea and looking down at her.

"Look… That was a long time ago, and…"

"And Ms. Novak was in the hospital with similar injuries, correct?"

Bea didn't respond.

"So you can understand how it's within the realm of possibility that you would have Ms. Novak intentionally hurt in order to divert attention away from you as a suspect?"

Bea's eyebrows furrowed as she quickly shook her head.

"I would never do that. If I wanted to escape with her, don't you think, I don't know, that I would've maybe escaped with her?" Bea responded, annoyed and frustrated.

"You're… unable to at the moment. I don't know, maybe you wanted to give her a head start? From what I've heard you're going to be walking again any day now, correct? Are you telling me Ms. Novak didn't mention anything to you about wanting to escape? It's certainly easier for you to do once on the outside, isn't it?"

Bea couldn't help but laugh. She brought her hands up to her face and massaged it, unsure of what to say as it seemed the detective was clearly set on obtaining a confession that would never come.

"Ms. Smith, here are the facts we are currently working with. This afternoon, Ms. Novak was released from the hospital after having shared a private room with you for several days. As she was being transported back to Wentworth, the van was crashed into, and the officer was shot in the head, had his throat slit, and had the letters RRH painted across his chest. Ms. Novak's blood was found in the back of the van, but there was no trace of her or the vehicle that hit the van. Now, I know you have been the poster child of the Red Right Hand, and it cannot be a coincidence that Ms. Novak was the right hand of their leader. I've already spoken with Ms. Proctor, and she let me know that the reason Ms. Novak was in the hospital in the first place was for a failed suicide attempt brought on by the belief that you were dead. I can't begin to imagine the thrill she must have felt to learn that you were in fact alive, much less the ensuing anxiety she must have felt knowing that she would have to be separated from you again when she was informed she would be released from the hospital."

As Bea thought back to the time she spent with Allie in the hospital, she remembered Allie asking her to run away with her, but Bea knew Allie would never do that without telling her, much less without her at Allie's side. Then her mind raced back to what Allie told her had happened between her and Jake.

"Stewart! He must have something to do with this!" Bea cried out.

"Who is Stewart?" Deacon asked, looking from Bea to Vera.

"Smith, he has nothing…"

"No, no, no, no, listen to me! Kaz wrote a letter to Allie letting her know everything she told you about that fucking article and his alliance with her and Ferguson to get you out of Wentworth. I don't know how, but he got ahold of the letter, and, and he came to the hospital to threaten Allie because he thought she was the person behind Kaz betraying him!"

"Smith, Proctor lied about his involvement with…"

"No, no, no, I have the letter in my room and I brought the… I brought the syringe with me that he used to threaten her."

"You brought a syringe into the prison?!"

"Yes, by all means focus on the contraband aspect, because that's what's important here. For fuck's sake, Governor!"

"Again, who is Stewart?"

"He, he's an officer here who was working with two inmates to oust the governor, and…"

"Mr. Stewart was at work when this all occurred, and he was the one to drive me out to the scene. He has nothing to do with this, and I don't know why you and Proctor are so intent on…"

"Would you just listen to me?!"

"That's enough, Smith!" Vera yelled.

Bea and Vera glared at each other, both women upset with one another. Deacon observed both of their reactions, finally choosing to break the silence when he realized neither woman was going to speak again.

"I'll speak with Mr. Stewart," Deacon said.

"Thank you," Bea quickly nodded. "I have… I have the letter and the syringe in my room. They're in the bag I took to the hospital."

Deacon nodded, turning towards Vera who took a deep breath before picking up her radio and calling on Miles to retrieve Bea's bag of personal belongings from her room. Miles hesitated at first, but ultimately confirmed she would bring the bag in soon.

…

The cackling and the shouting were loud enough to cause Allie to begin to slowly open her eyes. Even though she did so, she saw nothing but complete darkness, as a hood had been placed over her head that covered her entire face and prevented her from seeing anything. The pain from the crash hit her all at once, her entire body sore, her head throbbing. Unaware of what was happening, unsure of where she was, unable to process the situation, Allie tried to scream, something she realized was impossible to do as her lips had been glued shut. Allie winced from the pain of trying to open her mouth before ultimately giving up. She felt dizzy, nauseated, and struggled to remember how she ended up in her current position.

Allie began to breathe heavily as she tried to stand, but the leg cuffs she still had on prevented her from doing so, as did the ropes around her chest and stomach that bound her to a beam. Her arms were tied behind her, making it difficult to even breathe each time she tried to pull away, making her recent injuries ache horribly each time she tugged forwards and hit the beam with her arms. Despite the pain in her entire body, Allie began to thrash, desperately trying to free herself, hopelessly trying to open her mouth to call for help.

Allie stopped moving when she heard the steps of someone approaching her. She pulled her legs up, bending her knees and bringing them up to her chest as the steps came closer, and she could feel someone standing directly in front of her.

"Hey, she's finally awake!" the man called out as he looked down at Allie.

Allie could hear how close the man was to her, could feel his eyes on her.

"What?"

"She's up! How long are we supposed to wait here?"

"As long as it takes for the boss to come claim his package," the other man responded, coming close to Allie as well.

"Well… You and I both know his fruity ass doesn't want her to enjoy her, so… what do you say? Can we have a little fun before he gets here now that she's awake?"

"What, you couldn't do that before we fucking tied her up?"

"Shit no, if I wanted to fuck a woman who was out cold, I'd just go home to my wife."

The two men laughed as Allie felt her racing heart sink.

"Well, I'm good. Brunettes, redheads, sure, but honestly, pale blondes just bore the shit out of me. Help yourself though. Give her one last good ride before she goes to hell."

One man began to walk away, as the other stepped closer to Allie and crouched down in front of her. He took her hood off, as her eyes adjusted to her surroundings in the barely lit area. Her vision was still a bit blurry, but she could make out that the man in front of her was muscular and had tattoos over his face and on his bald head, and had a scar running down the right side of his jawline. Allie looked past him towards the other man, a tall but bulky figure with short jet-black hair who was twirling a metal baseball bat.

The tattooed man brought his fingers up to Allie's face, smiling as he stroked her cheek. Allie's muffled screams did nothing to deter him from running his hands down her body, despite the ropes shielding most of her from his touch. As he brought his face down to her, aiming to kiss her neck, Allie ripped her lips apart, brought her head down, and bit his ear with all her might. The man howled in pain as he punched her in the stomach, pushed back against her chest, but he was unable to break away until Allie had torn part of his ear off. The man brought his hand up to his hemorrhaging ear, screaming in agony, as the other man ran back over. Allie spit out the chunk of the ear, her mouth covered in his and her blood.

"HELP! HELP! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME! HELP ME! PLEASE HELP!"

Allie screamed as she began to thrash again, trying to somehow break free but failing to loosen the ropes at all. The other man raised his baseball bat and brought it down full force on Allie, striking her in her left temple.

"Help… Please… Help me… Bea…" Allie whispered as she drifted in and out of consciousness.

The man raised the bat again, this time striking Allie in her right temple and knocking her out.

…

Bea poured out the contents of her bag onto Vera's desk, desperately rifling through her clothes, her toiletries, and her snacks before picking up the one page she could find, not Kaz's letter, but the game she and Allie had played as Deacon and Vera watched her. Bea folded the page and set it aside before going back to look through her scattered items.

"I swear… Someone must have taken them," Bea claimed, evidently distraught.

"Smith, no one took anything from you…"

"Miles! Go get her, she must have…"

"Smith, that's enough. Get back to your unit. If we have more questions, I'll send for you."

"Someone took them from my bag!"

Vera slammed her fists down on the desk.

"ENOUGH!"

Vera walked around the desk and snatched the bag from Bea, throwing all her items back inside of it before handing it back to her, save for the contraband. As Vera reached for the page, Bea grabbed it and held it away from her, taking her bag and carefully placing it inside so as not to crumple it.

"Go. Now."

Bea looked at Deacon, who only closed his eyes and nodded his head. Vera looked out the glass of her office and motioned for Miles to come back inside. Bea stared at the floor, unwilling to move. Miles approached her from behind and grabbed the handles of her wheelchair, pulling her away from Vera and Deacon and pushing her out of the office.

"Is Mr. Stewart around?" Deacon asked.

"His shift recently ended," Vera replied.

"May I get his address?"

Vera stared at Deacon before nodding her head. She walked over to the computer and pulled up Jake's file. Deacon took his phone out and jotted down the information before nodding in Vera's direction and heading out of the office.

As Bea and Miles headed back into the hallways of the general population blocks, Bea let go of her bag and placed her hands on the wheels of her chair to stop Miles. She turned her chair around to look up at her.

"Come on, Smith, no offense, but I'm still freaked out by you, and I'd like to get you back to H1 as soon as…"

"Were you the one to retrieve my bag?"

"Yeah, of course I was. I didn't want to, but…"

"Miles, I'm serious."

"Yes! I grabbed your bag."

"Miles!"

"Yes, it was me! It was in your room on your bed…"

"You're lying to me."

"No, I'm not!"

"I didn't leave the bag on my bed. I left it next to the sink."

Bea glared at Miles, who looked up and down the hallway before looking down at the floor and sighing.

"Fine! Fine, I ran into Jake, and I asked him to go get it because… I'm fucking terrified that you might be a hallucination or ghost or… Satan at this point and…"

"FOR FUCK'S SAKE, MILES!"

Miles jumped back, frightened by Bea's glare and demeanor. Bea wanted to grab Miles and choke her, but she held back, knowing that Miles most likely meant no harm but was simply being stupid. She rubbed her eyes then looked up and down the hallway.

"Where is Ferguson?"

"Oh hell no, I'm not about to…"

"Miles, I swear to Lucifer, if you don't tell me where she is, I will conjure up the most blood-curdling demons to come terrorize you in your…"

"Okay! Shut up! Just shut up! Just stop please! Fine! She's in C3… Just… Just fucking stop creeping me out already!"

Bea continued to stare down Miles before turning her chair around and heading back towards H1. Miles shook and squirmed, trying to get rid of the chills Bea gave her just by being near her.

By the time Bea returned to H1, Kaz had already spread the word about Allie's disappearance. As Bea headed towards her room, Liz, Sonia, and Maxine all stood up from the seats in the common area, wanting to talk to Bea and ask if she needed anything, but Bea didn't give them the chance to speak, as she entered her room and threw the door shut behind her.  
Bea moved to sit next to her bed, throwing her bag onto it as she began to cry into her hands. As she massaged her face and ran her fingers through her hair, Bea noticed her sketchpad lying on her pillow. She reached for it and flipped it open to the drawing of Allie, staring at it as the tears continued to stream down her face. She ran her finger over the image, before setting the sketchpad down on her bed and reaching into her bag to pull out the page of the game they had played in the hospital.

Bea unfolded the page and went from looking at it to looking at the image of Allie. She wiped the tears from her eyes before she reached into her pocket and took out the lighter Franky had bought for her to light Allie's candle. Bea stared at it, turning it over in her fingers before grabbing the page of their game and placing it inside of her sketchpad, caressing Allie's image one last time before she closed the sketchbook. She left the sketchpad on her bed but hid the lighter underneath her mattress. Bea pushed herself towards the window and turned her wheelchair to face the door, locking it in place.

…

Jake walked towards the warehouse, unable to stop looking around to make sure no one was following or watching him. He had parked his car a bit of a walk away, paranoid that he would somehow be caught in the deserted location. He ran his left hand over his bandaged right hand, trying to massage the pain away from the fragments of glass that had cut him open. Jake pulled out his phone to read the message sent to him from his henchmen describing the location of the warehouse. He made it to the dilapidated building, checking around to make sure no one else was in the area, before loudly banging on the door.

"Hey, Vic," Jake quietly greeted as the man opened the door.

"About time my favorite screw got here," Vic replied as he stepped back to let Jake in. "No need to knock, no one knows about this place but us."

Jake stepped inside, looking around the warehouse. Boxes upon boxes were stacked to the ceiling on shelves that ran up and down the area. Only a few dim lights lit up the warehouse, the rest of it being illuminated by the moonlight that poured in through the windows near the rafters.

"Where's Turk?" Jake asked as he followed Vic.

"Uh… He, uh, had a little accident and had to go… But I wanted to talk to you about your order… We're gonna need you to pay a little more for your package."

"Excuse me?" Jake asked.

Vic stopped in front of a door, bringing the bat above his head in his two hands and stretching before bringing it back down again. He shrugged while grinning.

"Pay you more? You fuckers got the wrong girl!"

"What?"

"You got the wrong girl!"

Vic threw open the door that led into the separate area where an unconscious Allie sat bound to a beam. Jake flinched, a look of horror coming over his face as he saw the beaten, bruised, and bleeding girl who showed no signs of life.

"Are you telling me this isn't…"

"What did you fuckers do to her?!" Jake asked, running over to Allie.

Jake crouched down in front of Allie and reached his bandaged hand out to touch her face, streams of blood running down either side of it. He gently grabbed her by her chin and lifted her head up before softly patting her face. Jake pulled her eyelids apart, trying to find some sign of life before letting them shut again. He brought his finger underneath her nose, trying to feel any sign of breathing, before running his thumb over her torn and bleeding lips.

"She got rough with Turk and bit his fucking ear off," Vic said as he walked over to stand behind Jake. "We had to calm her down somehow."

"This isn't… I told you assholes to get the woman in the wheelchair." Jake gritted his teeth, slowly lowering Allie's head back down and rising back up to stare down Vic.

"This was the bitch who came out of that room in a wheelchair!"

Jake grabbed Vic by his collar and shook him.

"DO YOU SEE A FUCKING WHEELCHAIR ANYWHERE?!"

"She was taken out of the room in a wheelchair and we followed her out to the lot where they left it behind! We figured she was done with it!"

Jake shoved Vic, running his hands through his hair as he looked back down at Allie. He began to shake his head and pointed at her.

"I'm not paying for this. You got the wrong woman and then you still did this to her?!"

"Yeah, shockingly, people are pretty upset about being kidnapped so you'll excuse us if we have to do things a bit rougher than your ass is used to."

"This isn't who I wanted!" Jake yelled.

"You should've been fucking clearer! We tracked the bitch in the wheelchair from room 412, crashed into the van transporting her, killed the guard, did your little red finger-painting, brought her here, waited way too long for you, Turk got his ear bitten off… Fuck it, Jake, you were fun to work with at Walford, but I think too much bitch has rubbed off on you at Wentworth. Our job is done. You're not getting jack shit back."

Vic turned to leave, but was stopped by Jake, who grabbed his shoulder and spun him around before punching him in his face with his left hand. Vic absorbed the blow before shoving the end of his baseball bat into Jake's stomach, causing him to bend over in pain, as Vic brought the bat down on Jake's back and knocked him to the floor. Vic alternated between hitting Jake with the bat and kicking him in his sides and his face before tiring himself out. He crouched down next to Jake and yanked him by his hair, pulling his head up off the floor.

"She's your problem now. This is the last time we do business, and if I ever see you again I'll shove this fucking bat so far up your ass it'll make you straight again, ya hear?"

Vic shoved Jake's head down against the concrete before standing and walking away. Jake was bleeding from his face, blood spewing from his mouth as well, as he tried to roll over, grabbing his stomach in pain. His breathing was heavy as he opened his eyes to look at Allie. Jake stared at her before he forced himself to stand up. His eyes scanned the area for a few seconds before turning back towards Allie. Jake took his phone out of his pocket, crouched down in front of Allie, and snapped a couple of pictures of her before locking the phone and putting it away. Jake wiped his eyes with the back of his hand before standing back up and walking towards the door, stopping to look at Allie one last time before flipping off the light switch, walking out, and shutting the door behind him.

…

It was three in the morning, but Bea was wide-awake in her room, doing her best to stand. She was capable of rising from her chair, but was unable to fully straighten her legs to stand, only managing to make them move now and again before falling on the floor each time she tried. Bea climbed back into her chair, inhaling and exhaling deeply, as she thought of a new method of trying to stand. She reached down and straightened out her legs, letting her feet touch the floor, before she began to push herself upwards in her chair. As she rose from the chair, hoping her knees would bend to her will, her sweaty palms caused her to slip and she fell to the floor on her back, grabbing her head after it hit one of the chair's footrests.  
Bea clenched her fists and slammed them down against the floor before bringing her hands up to her face and rubbing it. Bea crossed her arms over her face, as she tried to find the strength to sit up and continue attempting to stand on her own after having tried for so long in her room, after having tried for so long in the hospital. Bea heard the door to her room open but kept her arms crossed over her face.

"Please go," Bea quietly requested, not wanting to wake any of the other women in H1.

Maxine and Boomer stepped into the room, each woman taking one of Bea's arms and pulling her up off the floor. Boomer turned towards Bea and grabbed her by her waist, easily picking the woman up and tossing her over her shoulder as she walked out of the room.

"What the fuck?! Boomer, put me down!"

Maxine sat down on the sofa in the common area between Sonia and Liz. As Bea pushed against Boomer to let her go, Boomer stopped in front of Maxine and set her down in her lap. Maxine immediately wrapped her arms around Bea's stomach, pulling her close as Bea still struggled to break free, unaware of what was going on, but not appreciating the handling she was undergoing.

"Bea, Bea, sweetheart, stop struggling or you'll hurt me, okay?" Maxine asked.

"Look, I'm sorry I was making so much noise and keeping you all up, but I'm trying to… Please just let me go back to my room. I'll be quiet, I swear," Bea begged as she slowly stopped struggling.  
"It's okay, love," Liz said as she placed a hand on the top of Bea's head.

After seeing her fully calm down, Sonia and Liz knelt down on the floor and took off Bea's shoes before they began to bind Bea's legs to Maxine's legs with ropes they had fashioned by cutting and stripping various pairs of their pants. Bea looked down at Liz and Sonia, confused by what they were doing.

"What the hell are you…"

"Beatrice, just shut your damn mouth and let us help you," Sonia ordered.

Not wanting to be scolded again by Sonia, Bea stopped questioning what was happening as she watched Sonia and Liz tie her legs to Maxine's above and below their knees. Once they finished, Sonia checked all the knots, before nodding to Liz and standing back up again. Liz and Sonia leaned over to hug Bea and Maxine from the sides and hold them together as Maxine let go of Bea and reached her hands out for Boomer to pull them up, while Sonia and Liz helped push their weight off the sofa to stand. Maxine let go of Boomer and hugged Bea again before Sonia and Liz let go of them.

"Now," Sonia began as she stood in front of Bea and placed both her hands on her face. "We know it's not the same as proper physical therapy equipment, but it's certainly better than having you further hurt yourself. For now, think of Maxine's legs as your legs."

"Your weight is on her feet, but if you make any kind of movement, you'll be pulling Maxine with you, okay?" Liz added.

"I'll only move if I feel you move, okay?" Maxine softly spoke, placing a kiss on the back of Bea's head.

"Maxine, you're going to get hurt," Bea whispered.

"I'm here to catch ya both, Bea," Boomer smiled.

"See? It's okay. Don't worry about me. Just try your best to move forward, okay? Ready?"

Bea nodded, a sad smile appearing on her face as she looked around at all her friends. Sonia and Liz stepped to the side, as Boomer stood next to Bea and Maxine, ready to support them should they need it. Bea placed her hands over Maxine's arms and did her best to try to move her legs, any small motion that would cause Maxine to move with her. She forced herself, and even though Maxine was able to feel a bit of a twitch in Bea's left leg, she refused to go forward, knowing that Bea would need to pull much harder in order to make her move. After attempting to move for a long time, Bea brought her hands to her eyes, running them over her face and through her hair.

"I'm sorry, I can't."

"It's okay. Just try to go towards the cell gate," Maxine spoke.

"Take it slow, Bea. We're here for you, hun" Liz remarked.

Bea tried again, feeling nothing physical beyond slight twitching despite the mental stress she was putting herself under just to make her legs move. Again, she was unaware of how much time had passed, as she realized the clock had been taken down from the common area.

"Just stop please. I can't do this."

Maxine hugged Bea with all the strength she could muster.

"Keep trying," Boomer insisted.

"I'm trying, but I can't."

"Just try," Liz added.

"Maxine, let go of me."

"I'm not letting go," Maxine responded.

"Maxine…"

"Try," Sonia urged.

Bea's breathing quickened as her eyes began to water, distraught that she was a broken woman incapable of standing on her own. She knew Maxine was helping hold her up, that she wasn't actually standing, just bound to a support system, but the sight of her legs straightened once again, being able to feel as if she were on her own two feet devastated her. Bea gripped Maxine's arms tightly before dropping her head forward and beginning to quietly cry.

"Bea… look who's here, " Maxine whispered in Bea's ear.

Bea looked up at the closed cell gate, not seeing anyone.

"…What?"

"Look, Bea, don't you see?"

Bea shook her head, confused by what Maxine was saying, as her eyes scanned the empty space behind the bars.

"It's Allie," Maxine whispered.

"…Maxine… Maxine, please…"

"Come on. She wants to give you a hug, Bea," Boomer said as she nudged her.

"Boomer…"

"Go on, Bea," Liz added, gesturing towards the gate with her head.

Bea stared at the entrance to the unit, immediately going from quietly crying to uncontrollably sobbing.

"I can't lose her!" Bea cried.

"Then go get her," Sonia whispered.

Bea squeezed her eyes shut tight and gritted her teeth as she dropped her head forwards, opening her eyes again to look down at her feet on top of Maxine's. Tears fell down onto her socks, and Bea wondered how long Maxine could keep her off her feet as she realized it was morning when the sunlight began to peek in through the windows. Bea looked around at Liz, Sonia, and Boomer, none of them showing a hint of fatigue despite none of them having sat down since Maxine had stood up hours ago. She looked back at the unit entrance, closing her eyes as she envisioned Allie standing on the other side of the bars.

Maxine smiled as she felt a strong tug beyond a twitch on her right leg. Wanting to push her further, Maxine waited for the pull to become stronger before she had no choice but to move her leg as Bea pulled her forward.


	17. Chapter 17: Detune

Thank you to everyone for reading and thank you to everyone for the feedback, it's greatly appreciated! :)

...

"Jake!"

Jake woke up, quickly lifting his head off the table and jumping up from his chair, rubbing his eyes and looking around before realizing he had fallen asleep in the staff room. Will stepped back in shock when he saw Jake's bandaged hand and his cut, bruised, and swollen face.

"Shit, what happened to you?" Will asked.

Jake looked at Will, simply shaking his head as his eyes turned down towards the floor.

"Got mugged while I was out last night," Jake finally replied as he went to sit back down again.

"Fuck, I'm sorry," Will said as he went to sit down next to him. "You shouldn't be here. Go home, Jake, you're unfit to work today."

"I'm good, I'm good, thanks."

"Jake… You can't…"

"I'm good I swear."

"…Are you sure?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be all right."

Will observed Jake, knowing full well he was in no condition to work. Will stood up and began to walk towards the door but stopped in his tracks. He looked down at the floor before turning around and walking back towards Jake.

"Hey, if the offer's still good, we can work out together. I'll help bulk you up so this doesn't happen to you again," Will offered, gesturing towards Jake's face.

Jake chuckled and nodded.

"All right. Thanks, Will."

Will smiled and patted Jake on the back, making him grit his teeth and wince from the pain but still managing to force a smile. Jake watched Will leave before standing up and walking over to the sink, turning the faucet on, and splashing his face. He hadn't slept all night. After receiving a beating from Vic, Jake returned home only to be greeted by Deacon who interrogated him about the disappearance of Allie. Deacon received no information or hints from Jake that would suggest he was involved, but Jake was still unsettled when Deacon informed him he would be back if new information surfaced. Jake gently dried his face off with a paper towel then threw it away before looking at his watch and walking out of the staff room towards C block.

As he entered C3, Jake told the current guard on duty that his shift was over and watched him leave. The only other inmate who shared C3 with Ferguson was currently in the mess hall, but Jake only had a few minutes to speak with Ferguson before the next guard arrived. The door to her room was open, and Jake stood in the doorway for a few seconds watching her eat before stepping inside and closing the door. Jake took the phone out of his pocket and opened it to the photos he had taken of Allie before handing it to Ferguson. She looked up from her tray to look at the screen but refused to take the phone.

"Has she been disposed of?" Ferguson asked as she bent over to pick her cup off the floor.

Jake pulled the phone back to look at it as Ferguson took a drink before placing the cup back down on the coaster on the floor.

"Not yet…"

Ferguson finally turned to look up at Jake, a look of disgust appearing on her face when she saw his cuts and bruises. She gestured for Jake to back away from her. Jake stared at her for a few seconds before he shook his head and took a few steps back. Ferguson finally stood up, turning to place her meal tray down on the bed.

"Not yet? Why not?"

"I don't want to kill her…"

"You seem to not be able to understand the compromising position Allie would place you in should she return to Wentworth."

Jake stared at the phone, the painful realization hitting him that Ferguson was right. Even though Allie hadn't seen him, he couldn't risk her coming back to Wentworth after what he had done in the hospital. Jake had assumed that Bea had been the one to tip off the detective about his possible involvement with Allie's disappearance. He couldn't expect Allie to keep quiet about what had happened, and he couldn't take the risk of anyone somehow tracing everything that had happened to her back to him.

"…You're right," Jake finally responded.

"I'm not asking you to kill her, Jake. Your men would be the ones to do it. I just need you to be present so you can give me confirmation that she is no longer a problem. Say, tonight?"

Jake looked up at Ferguson before looking back down at the phone and nodding his head. Ferguson walked over to her shelf and grabbed a washcloth, holding it in her upwards facing palm and reaching out to Jake. He placed the phone on it and watched Ferguson wipe it down.

"These photos will do."

"Is that it? Are we done now?" Jake asked, reaching for the doorknob.

"You are on watch duty tomorrow morning, correct?"

"…Yes."

"I need you to arrange for Smith to come meet me in the showers then."

"Joan… Joan, I can't do that. If you kill her or if she… They'll sack me. I would face severe consequences if something happens to either…"

"Nothing will happen, Jake. I simply want to speak to her."

Jake stared at Ferguson before slowly nodding his head and walking out of her room. Ferguson set the phone down on her bed before stepping over to her sink and wetting the washcloth. She walked over to the door and began to vigorously wipe down the handle.

…

Franky rose from her chair as she watched Bea come into the visiting area. Bea made her way over to Franky, who leaned over and hugged her, slightly lifting her out of her wheelchair as Bea hugged her back with all her strength. Franky finally let go of her and placed her hands on her face, trying to force a smile. She turned around and pulled her chair close to Bea, grabbing her hand and gripping it tightly.

"Bridget told me everything… I'm really sorry," Franky softly spoke.

"Franky, this is my fault. I knew this would happen. I fucking knew it. I knew that we shouldn't get involved," Bea's voice cracked as her eyes began to water.

"Hey, hey…"

"I just wanted her to be safe. I should have never…"

"Hey, hey, shh, stop, just stop, okay?"

Franky leaned over and hugged Bea again before an officer called out to them to separate. Franky pulled away from Bea and glared at the officer before turning back to face her.

"Ferguson is behind this… I know it," Bea claimed as she clenched her fist.

"What makes you say that?"

"She… She tried to cut a deal… before…" Bea hit the armrests of her wheelchair. "Before this happened… She knew I was going to be a corroborating witness to Jesper and told me that if I testified she'd go after Allie…"

"Has she tried to make the same deal again?"

"I haven't gotten the chance to see her since I came back. They're doing their best to keep us as far away from each other as possible."

"If she has anything to do with Allie's disappearance, she's gonna try to negotiate with you again somehow… But Bea… Bea, her trial's the day after tomorrow. This is it. You have the power to get rid of her permanently. You need to testify. If you don't…"

"Franky, do you actually believe she's gonna let me make it to her trial?" Bea laughed. "What if my van is crashed into? What if I get a bullet in my head and the Red Right Hand's framed for it? And let's say if by some miracle I do make it to the courthouse. Her legal counsel destroyed Jesper, her actual hitman. What if my testimony isn't enough? What if I'm not enough? What if she gets out? What then, Franky? You know what she's capable of. She'll go after everyone who's ever crossed her, everyone who's ever allied themselves with me. She'll come for Sonia, Maxine, Liz, Boomer, Jackson, Bennett… even you're in danger, Franky… She's already got Allie and… Everyone I care about ends up dead."

Bea placed her elbows on the table and began crying into her hands. Franky reached her hands out and took Bea's hands in her own, gripping them tightly as she looked into Bea's tearful eyes.

"Hey, hey, listen to me. They'll find her. Allie's a real fighter… Don't give up on her, okay?"

"No… No… Never… I… I can still feel her."

Franky hugged Bea as tightly as she could, ignoring the warning from the officer who yelled out for them to separate. Still crying, Bea hugged Franky even tighter, as the officer made his way over.

"All right, come on, Smith. Your visit's over."

"She just got here," Franky said, letting go of Bea but holding onto her hand.

"If you can't follow the rules…"

"We separated already."

"Too late. Come on."

The officer stepped behind Bea and grabbed her wheelchair's handles, pulling her away, leaving Bea and Franky no choice but to let go of the other's hand as they could no longer hold onto each other. The officer pushed Bea towards the exit as she turned to look back at Franky and gave her a small wave.

"Everything's gonna be okay! I'll see you soon, Red!" Franky called out.

Another officer opened the door to let Bea pass through. She was pushed until arriving into the general population area again before the officer let go of her chair and walked back towards the visitor's center. Bea wiped her eyes with the back of her hands before grabbing the wheels of her chair and heading down the hallway.

Jake walked up to her from behind and took hold of the wheelchair's handles. Bea turned around to face him for a second before letting go of her chair and looking forward again as Jake pushed her down the hall.

"Ferguson wants to speak with you tomorrow morning," Jake quietly spoke.

"What happened to your face, Mr. Stewart? You look like shit."

"That's none of your fucking business, Smith. I'm only trying to pass along her message."

"She got to you too, then?" Bea asked, already knowing the answer.

"It's a one-time favor. I'll take you to meet her in the C block showers during breakfast. I don't know anything about what's going on between you two so we never had this talk, understand?"

"…Okay."

"Good."

Jake let go of her wheelchair and proceeded to continue down the hallway as Bea watched him. She could have confronted him. She could have questioned him. But Bea knew that if she angered or unsettled or scared Jake in any way, he had the power to get rid of her, especially because Vera seemed intent on defending him no matter what. So for now, she had to wait to deal with him. Bea watched him turn the corner before she started moving again towards the laundry room.

…

Jake knocked on the door to Vera's office.

"Come in," Vera called out without looking up.

Jake entered the office, quickly turning around to shut the door. Vera closed her notebook and looked up.

"What can I do for you, Jake?"

Jake breathed deeply before he turned to face Vera, who became shocked at the sight of his face. She rose from her chair as Jake made his way towards her desk.

"My goodness, what happened to you?"

"…May I?" Jake asked, gesturing towards the chair.

"Of course, of course, please sit."

Jake sat down in the chair while Vera leaned against her desk and examined the injuries on his face.

"I was mugged yesterday… It's really not as bad as it looks," Jake smiled.

"I'm so sorry to hear that. Did you call the police? Please, if you need to go home, you can…"

"No, no, no, no, thank you, but I… I don't want to go home. I much prefer being here."

"Can… Can I get you anything or do anything to help?" Vera asked, the pity she felt for Jake evident in her eyes.

"No, Governor, you're too kind… I just… I just wanted to come by and thank you."

"…For what?"

"Working here has been an… adjustment. Seems like I've kind of been the scapegoat for a lot of the crazy stuff that's been going on recently and… and I just wanted to thank you for always having my back no matter what. You have no idea what it means to me to have someone here on my side."

Jake stood up from his chair and gazed into Vera's eyes, a smile appearing on his face. He reached his bandaged hand out to grab Vera's right hand, placing his other hand over it and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"I couldn't ask for a better boss. Thank you, Governor."

Vera looked down at their hands before looking back up at Jake and shyly smiling while quickly nodding her head.

"Of course, Jake, I, uh… I'm here… for you," she stammered as she covered Jake's hand with her left one.

Jake let go of Vera's hand and hugged her. Shocked but not opposed to it, Vera hesitated but ultimately hugged him back, cherishing the embrace. Jake let go of her and started to leave but stopped when he grabbed the door handle and turned back to face her.

"Would you… Would you like to have dinner with me after work tonight?" Jake asked.

Vera was unable to hide her surprise as her mouth opened and her eyes shifted left and right.

"Uhmm… I, uh… Yes! Yes, that would be most… yes," Vera stuttered.

"Great, I'll cook for you… I mean I would love to eat you out…"

Jake covered his face with his hands and laughed. Vera blushed as her eyes widened.

"Sorry, so sorry, I mean… I would love to eat out with you… but… But I don't want people staring at… this," Jake snickered, pointing towards his face.

"You still look great," Vera softly spoke. "But… But that's fine. I don't mind. I'd love to come to your place."

"Great… I'll see you then, Vera."

Jake smiled and gave her a small wave before turning to leave her office. Vera watched him walk out. She turned down to look at the floor, a smile appearing on her face before she began to softly laugh.

…

"Head count, ladies!" Officer Lawson called out as he stepped into H3.

Kaz and two of her crewmembers walked out of their rooms to stand outside their doors. After the incident in the mess hall, Kaz's other crewmember had been moved out of C3 and into H3, giving her original room up to Ferguson as C3 had only one other inmate and was therefore the safest unit for Ferguson at the moment. Lawson completed the count and walked out of the unit, closing the gate behind him and leaving. Mel turned to look at Kaz who ignored her and walked into Allie's room, shutting the door behind her.

Kaz leaned against the door as she looked around the room. She walked over to Allie's bed and sat down on the edge of it, turning to face the tackboard. Kaz ran her eyes over all of the things Allie had pinned up, the articles, the images, the posters. The door opened and Mel stepped inside.

"Everything all right?" she asked, walking over and handing a cup of tea to Kaz.

Kaz took the mug as Mel sat down on the bed. She looked down at the mug and ran her finger around the rim as she spoke.

"This is all my fault."

"Don't say that, Kaz."

"If I hadn't gone after Smith, Allie would still be here, and you know that. Allie damn near killed herself because of what I did."

Mel looked down at the floor.

"Do you still think Smith is involved?" Mel asked.

"Not anymore… I thought about what Allie told me the last time I saw her… Smith was never our enemy. She never wanted anything to do with us when you think about it. She just… She just wanted Allie."

"…Who do you think did it then?"

"The Freak is the only one who would go so far as to kill her and frame the Red Right Hand for it. I mean she shopped us. It makes sense that she'd frame us."

"You think Allie's really…" Mel began, unwilling to finish the question.

"Knowing Ferguson… Yeah. She gets back at me but more importantly back at Smith by getting rid of Allie. You think she's gonna be all right to testify anymore after this? Ferguson knew exactly what she was doing by taking Allie out of the picture."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Are you gonna take Sonia up on her proposition and testify? Talk about what really happened in the laundry room and the mess hall?"

"I have to."

"Do you actually trust her?"

"God no. I don't even know her, but… I do know she's always stuck up for Smith. Not sure why, but she has Smith's best interest at heart. I couldn't help Allie, but I can still help Smith in memory of her."

"You might get more time if you testify, you know that, right?"

"Yeah… But if it helps keep Ferguson behind bars, I'll do it… I've fucked up a lot in here. I've failed all my girls… After everything I've done to you guys, to Allie… to Smith… I deserve a life sentence at this point."

Kaz brought the mug to her mouth, sipping the tea as tears fell from her eyes.  
…

Jake led Ferguson towards the showers of C block during breakfast. He stood outside the door as Ferguson walked inside the empty shower block. Ferguson stepped into the fourth stall from the door, pulling the curtain back as she placed her robe on the hook, her towel over the stall wall. She turned the water on and began to wash her body and her hair.

When Ferguson was finished, she shut off the water and dried herself off with her towel. She slightly folded the towel and draped it over the wall again before reaching her arm out to grab her robe and put it on. Ferguson turned around and pulled the curtain back, becoming startled when she saw Bea in her wheelchair in front of the bench by the wall, as she hadn't heard her come in. Ferguson smirked as she grabbed her toiletries bag and towel, draping it over her arm and exiting the stall to stand across from Bea.

"Hello, Smith."

Bea glared at her, refusing to speak.

"Despite having asked Mr. Stewart to arrange this meeting, I can't help but feel shocked to see you alive and kicking… metaphorically speaking of course."  
Bea simply stared at her, as Ferguson smiled while looking her up and down. Bea knew better than to trust a meeting with Ferguson set up by Jake of all people, but at the moment she had no other way of getting to her. Bea took a deep breath before she began to speak, knowing that this was her one and only chance to get any kind of information about Allie.

"Where's Allie?"

Ferguson smiled, taking a few steps towards Bea but refusing to come within reach of her.

"I offered you a trade before. I tried to make a deal with you, and instead of accepting it like a human with a conscience or a heart would, you stalled and ended up falling victim to a weapon I'm assuming was intended to go into my back, correct?"

"Where's Allie?"

"I am a merciful person, Smith. I tried to give you a way out, a respectful way to go, but you simply refuse to stay down. Allie was absolutely devastated believing you had died. I had hoped she would take the route she did, but then I learn her slashing her wrists wasn't enough to…"

"Where is Allie?"

"…Jesper was no match for me, but now your stubbornness has given me one last charge to deal with before I can walk away. The only thing that stands in my way is you, again, metaphorically speaking. Therefore, I am willing to give you one last chance to right your wrongs. Kaz did her part by taking the fall for Allie to help exonerate her. If she comes back, she won't be imprisoned for much longer, and I believe it's time for you to do your part for Allie as well. Let's call her… leverage, hm?"

Bea did her best to fight back her tears. Ferguson pulled a phone out of her robe's right pocket and used it for a few seconds before looking back up.

"Look at yourself, Smith," Ferguson quietly spoke as she came closer to Bea, still looking down at her. "Do you honestly believe it would have been fair for Allie to spend the best years of her life taking care of you? You're nothing but a decrepit, onerous cripple incapable of offering her anything other than a lifelong burden she would eventually tire of and resent… Young Allie deserves better, wouldn't you agree?"

Bea refused to speak. Ferguson came closer and held the phone in front of her. Bea slowly lowered her eyes to look at the phone screen, unable to stop the tears from running down her face from anger, from sorrow, when she saw the pictures of Allie, her bloody face, her torn lips, and her black and swollen eye.

"Wouldn't you?"

Bea shut her eyes tight, opening them up again as she slowly nodded.

"I don't believe she belongs here. I'm sure you can agree with me that her worst and only mistake was becoming involved with you. Look at what you've done to her. Therefore, I am willing to give you one last opportunity to give Allie a future, a better one at that. Do not testify against me. Retract your allegations. Refuse to appear at the courthouse. Keep your disciples from speaking out. While you still have time, you can see that Allie's is running out. Do this, and I will give Allie back to you so you can enjoy her for the few months she has left here before your love for her forces you to set her free so she can finally live her life."

"…Why should I trust you?" Bea asked, looking at the phone.

Ferguson lowered the phone and crouched down in front of her, looking Bea straight in the eyes as she quietly spoke.

"Because you have no other choice. You do remember what happened last time you refused my trade, don't you?"

Bea stared into Ferguson's eyes, knowing that she shouldn't be trusted but having no other course of action.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay."

"Okay what?"

"I'll drop the charges. I'll tell everyone to withdraw their statements. I won't be at the courthouse. This case is nothing to me. You're nothing to me."

"You do know that my trial is tomorrow, and if you don't do this, that will be it for Allie, correct?"

"I know," Bea nodded. "I won't do anything against you. I'll soon be out of your life forever."

"I wouldn't jump that far ahead. Once your charge is dropped let's make a little wager for how long it takes me to oversee you as governor again, shall we?" Ferguson smiled as she stood back up.

"At least now you can sleep peacefully knowing that because of you, Allie's heart will continue beating."

"I'm trusting you, Ferguson."

"And I am trusting you to uphold your part of our deal, Smith. If you trust me, Allie will be back as soon as my trial ends. By now you should know that I have eyes and ears inside and outside of this prison. If I even begin to suspect for a second that you are trying to scheme against me, I don't even have to lift a finger to remove Allie from your life permanently… Consider this your one and only warning. If you betray me, Allie will only be able to continue existing in your memories."

Ferguson turned away and began using the phone as she walked towards the door. Bea sniffled and wiped the tears from her eyes before speaking again.

"Is that how you keep Jianna alive?"

Ferguson stopped walking, her hands clenching the phone and her toiletries bag as her nose began to twitch. She turned to face Bea, who showed no emotion whatsoever, but simply stared at her.

"Do you have a picture of her? I could draw you two together if you'd like. I guess if you don't, I could just sketch you and Doreen… I mean, if you could see Jianna in her as a person, why wouldn't you be able to in a drawing? Hell, I could even use an image of Joshua as a substitute for Jianna's baby."

Ferguson dropped the phone, towel, and toiletries bag as she stormed towards Bea and wrapped both her hands around her neck, easily lifting her from her wheelchair and kicking it aside before slamming and pinning her to the wall behind her. Bea didn't struggle, but simply gripped her wrists as Ferguson held her up by her neck.

"Shut your dirty mouth, and don't you ever, ever mention…" Ferguson uttered, bringing her face close to Bea's.

"Jianna?" Bea interrupted, struggling to speak but refusing to stop talking.

Ferguson pulled Bea away from the wall before forcefully slamming her head against it, keeping her pushed up against the wall as she continued to tighten her hold on Bea's neck.

"Young Jianna… deserved better… wouldn't you agree?" Bea smirked.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT THE FUCK UP! SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!"

Ferguson slammed Bea against the wall repeatedly, drops of blood staining the wall with each subsequent hit. Suddenly, the door to the shower block opened, and Jake ran inside to pull Ferguson off of Bea. Bea dropped down, hitting the bench before falling off of it onto the floor. Jake struggled to pull a frantic and crazed Ferguson away but eventually managed to drag her out of the shower block.

Bea sat up off the floor, bringing her hand to the back of her head. She looked at her bloody fingers as she tried to shake off the pain. Bea looked around the shower block before she slowly stood up and walked over to Ferguson's towel, moving it to the side and picking up the phone that was underneath. The phone's screen had cracked, but Bea was still able to turn it on. She slid her finger across the screen to unlock it and opened it up to the photos section. She quickly shut it off and placed it in her pocket as she turned around to set her wheelchair back up, sitting in it and releasing the locks on it before making her way towards the door, throwing it open, and exiting the shower block.


	18. Chapter 18: Blockades

As usual, thank you to everyone reading this and leaving me feedback! I got asked about the chapter titles, and I wanted to let you all know that each chapter is titled after a different song that I feel fits with the content. I'll post the list of songs in my bio if you guys are interested or looking for new music. Thank you all again for sticking with this little story!

...

...

On his way back to C3, Jake needed another officer to assist him in taking Ferguson back to her cell. She mumbled Jianna's name over and over again as she struggled to break free from the hold of the two guards. The women they passed by stopped and stared at her, whispering, laughing, and calling her "Freak" when she walked by. When they finally arrived at C3, Jake pushed Ferguson to sit down in the common area. He motioned for the other officer to leave.

"I've got it from here. You can go now," Jake ordered.

The officer nodded, giving Ferguson one last look before exiting the unit. Out of breath, Jake sat down on the table in front of Ferguson and grabbed her face, trying to make her look at him.

"Joan, Joan, look at me," Jake softly spoke. "Who is Jianna?"

At the sound of her name from another person's lips, Ferguson froze and glared at Jake. She clenched her fist and struck Jake in the face, causing him to jerk backwards and almost fall off the table. He stood up, covering his face with both his hands.

"For fuck's sake, you bitch!" Jake yelled as he pulled Ferguson to stand and shook her. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Jake!"

Miles rushed into C3 and pulled Jake off of Ferguson, standing in between the two of them and holding her hand up in his direction.

"The fuck is going on here?" Miles asked, looking from Ferguson to Jake.

"Nothing… Nothing… It's fine…"

"YOU KILLED JIANNA!" Ferguson screamed, pointing towards Jake.

"What the fuck are you talking about?!" Jake barked, taking a step towards Ferguson.

"Jake, you can't…"

"I said it's fine, Linda!"

Miles turned to look back towards a still shaking and mumbling Ferguson before she placed her hand on her back and led her into her cell. Ferguson sat down on the bed, beginning to rock back and forth as she continued to mumble under her breath. Miles stared at her for a few seconds, shaking her head as she walked out of the cell and closed the door. Jake was standing in front of the sink, splashing his face with water.

"What the hell's gotten into you?" Miles asked, walking over to him.

"Getting sick of that psychotic bitch," Jake responded as he brought his hand to his mouth to check if he was bleeding.

"Yeah, join the club… But you can't… You can't manhandle her just because she pisses you off."

Jake shut off the water and turned to face Miles, looking down at the floor and nodding his head.

"Who's Jianna?" Jake asked.

"I was about to ask you the same thing. What happened to her? I've never seen her this… disturbed."

"I've got no idea what she's talking about. She went to the showers and came out a mess…"

"…D'you want to trade duty with me? I'm rostered for the mess hall right now."

"Yeah… Yeah I think that'd be best… Thanks, Linda."

Jake moved past Miles towards the exit, stopping for a second to look into Ferguson's cell. Ferguson was walking around inside, grabbing fistfuls of her hair as her lips moved, seemingly speaking to herself. Jake shook his head as he walked out of C3 and made his way towards the mess hall.

…

Bea sat on the floor, leaning against the door of her cell. She looked through everything on the phone, trying to find any kind of information about Allie. As she was looking through it, her door opened and she fell backwards onto the floor. Sonia looked down at her, chuckling as Bea looked up at her.

"Beatrice, what are you doing?" she asked as she watched Bea sit up.

"Shut the door."

"You missed breakfast," Sonia said as she stepped inside and closed the door.

Bea stood up and sat down on her bed. Sonia placed something wrapped in a napkin on Bea's desk before she sat down next to her.

"Calling someone?" Sonia asked pointing to the phone.

"No… No, there's no service… It's Ferguson's phone. She knows where Allie is."

Bea looked down at the phone and opened up the photos of Allie, handing the phone to her. Sonia took it and stared at the screen.

"The photos have no details. There's no messages, no calls…" Bea began.

"It's active, there's just no signal in here… Clearly a burner that's been wiped throughout its use."

"Yeah…"

"How did you manage to get it from her?"

"She set up a meeting during her shower time today and showed me these pictures. She made me agree to drop the charges and in exchange she'd let Allie come back… Then I just… I just pissed her off and she dropped everything and attacked me before Stewart rushed in to help and take her back to her unit."

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah… I mean… Yeah."

"…Must have said some truly nasty things to upset her enough to forget about something like this," Sonia responded, holding up the phone.

"She… She was kind of enamored with an inmate from a prison she worked at years ago… It's the one thing I know that can actually unsettle her."

"What's the prisoner's name?"

"Jianna. Jianna Riley."

"…Who do you think took these photos?"

"Stewart has to be involved in this. He set up the meeting today, he was at the hospital, he has it in for Allie, and since Ferguson has it in for Allie…"

"Ferguson has it in for you... Allie is… collateral damage… Did… Did you agree to her conditions?"

Bea looked up at Sonia before slowly nodding her head. Sonia looked back down at the phone.

"You know… My dearest friend Helen would always send me photos of herself, wherever she was. She would text now and again, call once she was home, but when she was out, she tended to send me pictures. She liked checking in, asking for my opinion on the most inane things… Her makeup, her clothes, which wine went best with her meals… As time went on she began to send me fewer and fewer photos… I grew nervous, anxious actually, especially when she informed me she had been diagnosed with depression. It got to the point where she no longer communicated with me through calls or texts, just… just photos. So I learned a… trick of sorts. I would save the photos she sent me and check the details of the images on my computer."  
Bea stared at Sonia, unsure of where she was going with her story but refusing to interrupt.

"This is an older model, but… it's still a relatively modern phone. If you can connect it to a computer and download the images then the information, the details you can only access through the original file would show up."

"What kinds of details?"

"Well, everything from the second the photo was taken to the size of the image, the file type, but the most important thing for me and what will be the most important thing for you would be the geotags."

"Geotags?"

"Yes. This phone has a camera and a GPS. The geotags would tell you where the photo was taken… I wanted to know Helen was safe. I needed to know where she was in case… in case she did something, in case she wanted to do something… so that I could be there for her."

Bea looked down at the phone, her eyes lighting up. Sonia smiled as she looked back down at the phone as well.

"I wouldn't put it past Ferguson to have more than just Stewart looking out for her best interest so… I'll find you a connector cable and use one of the computers in education to download the information for you so that you're not under any kind of suspicion. What do you say?"

"You would do that?"

"Of course."

"Sonia… I can't… I can't thank you enough for…"

"Don't mention it. Shouldn't take more than two minutes but… but you should figure out what to do in the meantime. If you make any move against Ferguson and she catches wind of it, I can assure you this will all be for naught."

Bea looked back down at the phone and nodded, recalling the threat Ferguson had made. Sonia stood up and placed the phone in the inside pocket of her cardigan. She leaned over and placed her hands on Bea's face.

"You need to eat something to keep your strength up. You look like you're about to die," Sonia remarked.

Sonia let go of Bea and reached for the item she had brought in and handed it to Bea. She took the item, which turned out to be a breakfast sandwich Sonia had put together. Bea looked up at Sonia and smiled.

"Thank you… for everything."

Sonia softly smiled before she ruffled Bea's hair and walked out of her cell, shutting the door behind her. Bea looked down at the sandwich. As she brought it to her mouth to take a bite, she stopped herself and stared at it instead. Bea looked back up towards the door and then towards her desk. She wrapped the sandwich again in the napkin and set it down on her bed. She stood up and walked over to sit at the chair at her desk. Bea grabbed a notebook and opened it up to a blank page before she grabbed a pen and began writing.

Sonia went into her cell and reached under the space beneath her bed, pulling out a roll of money and putting it in her pocket. As she walked out and was leaving H1, she ran into Maxine.

"Is she okay?" Maxine asked, looking towards Bea's cell.

"…Are you up for a charge?" Sonia asked, ignoring Maxine's question.

Maxine nodded. Sonia gestured with her head to go with her as the two walked out of H1.

…

Kaz walked into H3, stopping in the doorway of Allie's cell when she saw Bea sitting in her wheelchair in front of the window and looking down at Allie's hoodie.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to…" Kaz began.

"No, no come in. I was waiting for you," Bea interrupted, not looking up at Kaz.

Hesitantly, Kaz entered Allie's cell, slowly shutting the door behind her and leaning against it. Bea finally looked up, her bloodshot eyes and the dark circles underneath them startling Kaz.

"Fuck, Smith, when's the last time you slept?" Kaz asked.

"Ferguson's behind Allie's kidnapping," Bea responded, ignoring Kaz's question.

"Yeah… I figured just as much…" Kaz answered as she sat down on Allie's bed. "Did she tell you herself or…?"

Bea gripped Allie's hoodie with her right hand as she pulled the phone out of her left pocket, using it for a few seconds before handing it to Kaz. She took the phone and looked down at it to see Allie's picture, rage building up inside her as she gripped the phone.

"She said… She said she'd bring Allie back if I dropped the charges against her."

Kaz looked up at Bea, who continued to look down at Allie's hoodie.

"Look, Smith… As much as I want to believe that Allie is still… Ferguson knows how to play you. You don't know when these photos were…"

"Timestamp says they're from two days ago."

"…Have you shown these photos to anyone?"

"…Ferguson said that if she even suspected I was trying to plot against her that she'd… she'd get rid of Allie and… and I'm not about to take that chance."

"You have to show these to Bennett…"

"I can't. She's backed Stewart this entire time and I know he's involved with all this. I don't know who else Ferguson has on her side, but if I even go near the governor's office… I don't want to risk it."

"…Fuck… Fuck, Smith, you took the deal, didn't you?"

Bea kept looking at the hoodie. Kaz looked back down at the phone.

"Smith… If you don't testify, that's it for Ferguson. She'll walk free. Do you honestly trust her to follow through with her word? These things are from two days ago. She's had plenty of time to kill, bury, and… You cannot trust that woman. You should know that better than anyone by now. Allie's gone. You know Ferguson would never just let her go after everything that's happened, especially knowing the effect it would have on you. She wants you to implode. She wants you to self-destruct. You're playing right into her hands if you refuse to show up to the courthouse on the promise of Allie coming back… But she won't. Allie's not coming back, Smith… All you can do now is make sure that Ferguson pays for what she's done. You can keep her behind bars. You're the only one."

"Kaz… Kaz, I know Ferguson. I know she might be lying to me, but…"

"It's not a possibility, Smith. She would never keep Allie alive if it means…"

"If… If you're right… That doesn't change the fact that Ferguson won't let me make it to her trial. I can guarantee that."

"She wouldn't try to negotiate with you if she could just take you out."

"It's easier for her to try to cut a deal with me right now. Her plan A is me just not showing up out of my own accord. Plan B is stopping me no matter what. Obviously, A is easier for her, but B is always on the backburner."

"What, you think… You think she'd try to get rid of you now?"

"Of course. Look how easy it was to get Allie on the road. She has outside help. She has internal help. I won't make it to the courthouse no matter what."

"So what? So you're just gonna let her walk then? After everything she's done? Just… just let her get away with this?" Kaz asked, holding the phone up.

"I don't want her to get away with anything, but time and time again… That's all that's happened, Kaz. You don't know half the shit she's done to people in here that she's been able to get away with. I mean, she was even able to get out from underneath her hired gun. You think she'd actually face justice for kicking me in the back and driving a weapon into me that had accidentally impaled me? For trying to kill me in the laundry room when she walked out even more injured than I did?"

"You…You've got us on your side though. For fuck's sake, I'm putting my own ass out there for you. Ferguson isn't going to let Allie come back. She's using a dead body as leverage with you, and you're letting your emotions get the best of you."

"I promised Allie I'd care for her… I'd protect her… I would be with her."

"…Bea…"

"If you're right… If I failed to care for her, to protect her… I still want to be with her… I want to say goodbye to her… But no matter what, I'm going to get Ferguson to pay for everything she did to her, to you, to everyone who ever crossed her. I can't… I won't let her get away again."

"You don't have to…"

"Kaz, you need to understand that I have one last chance, one chance to get this right, to make sure there's no doubt that she can't be free, to make sure she can't lie her way out of it, to take her down once and for all. But I can't do this on my own. I need your help."

"…Look… Any day now, Bennett's gonna call you into her office to tell you that they've found Allie's body. I'm sorry, but you need to accept that Allie's gone. Ferguson would never keep her alive, regardless of your deal."

Bea looked back down at the hoodie she was holding. She lifted it up and folded it before setting it in her lap, placing both her hands over it as she looked down at the floor.

"D'you want to know how I found out that my daughter died?"

Kaz stared at Bea, a confused look on her face as she waited for Bea to continue.

"I was in H2 back then, before the fire. We were all listening to music, some of the girls, Boomer, Liz, Kim back when we got along, and you don't know Franky but you'd like her, were dancing. I was braiding Doreen's hair. A guard came to get me, said I was needed in medical. I thought I'd done something wrong… Left the unit only to be greeted by the governor and Jackson who told me to go with them to medical. There was something about them… I just stood there, frozen. They wouldn't tell me what was wrong, kept saying I had to go to medical, that it was a personal matter. I asked if it had to do with Debbie. They wouldn't answer. They wouldn't tell me if she was okay. They took me into a medical holding cell and told me that they'd found a syringe by her bed, a needle mark in her arm… I tried calling home to talk to Debbie, and Harry… All Harry could say was he found her. I asked where she was. He said he didn't know. He said the hospital told him to go home, that there was nothing more they could do… And she was all alone… I couldn't be with my little girl… Not then, not at her funeral… I was only able to be with her when I escaped to kill Brayden. I went to the cemetery… I went to apologize to her because… because I failed to be there for her when she needed me."  
Bea finally looked up at Kaz, who was quietly crying as she listened to Bea.

"I'm not gonna wait for another guard to walk into my unit and ask me to go to medical."

Kaz wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. She sniffled and looked down at the phone before turning to face Bea.

"Tell me what you need me to do."

…

Jake walked into Vera's office to find she was not there. He shut the door behind him and looked around the office as he took a deep breath. Jake was about to take a seat in front of the desk when he stopped and looked at the governor's chair. He walked around the desk and sat down in it, slowly spinning in the chair as he waited for Vera to show up. When Vera finally came into the office, she was amused at the sight of Jake in her chair.

"I think this chair suits me, don't you, Governor?" Jake grinned.

Vera smiled and shut the door behind her. She walked over and crossed her arms as she stood in front of the desk, slowly bobbing her head.

"Maybe at another facility," Vera laughed.

Jake laughed and stood up from the chair, walking around the desk and standing in front of Vera.

"I just wanted to stop by and tell you I had a great time last night, Vera," Jake softly spoke.

"I did too," Vera said as she looked down at the floor.

"Would you like to do it again tonight? Unless you're bored of me already."

"No, of course not," Vera laughed. "I'd love to… Uhmm, how about we go to my place this time? I'm happy to cook for you to repay you for last night."

"Sounds great."

Jake stepped away from Vera and headed for the door. Vera bit down on her lip before her phone ringing shook her out of her daze.

…

Kaz walked into the kitchen with two of her crewmembers behind her. They approached Tina who was chopping vegetables near the sink. Kim turned around and nudged Tina when she saw Kaz's crewmember push the camera towards the ceiling with a mop.

"What do you want?" Tina asked, not letting go of the knife.

"Relax," Kaz began as she looked behind Tina. "We just wanted to see what was on the menu."

"The same shit in three different colors, now piss off," Tina responded.

Mel walked over to the sink and crouched down to open the cabinet door, beginning to grab gloves and shove them into her pockets as Kim watched her. Kaz stepped over to Tina and looked at the vegetables as she leaned forward on the counter. Tina turned to the side and watched as Kaz placed a roll of bills on the counter, which Tina eagerly covered with her own hand.

"My mistake. Plenty of more choices on our secret menu," Tina smiled as she placed the roll of bills in her pocket. "What would you like?"

"I need a special ingredient added to a meal," Kaz spoke as she turned to look around the kitchen.

"Whose meal?"

"Ferguson's."

Tina looked at Kim, who raised her eyebrows and smiled.

…

Jake walked towards C3, carrying Ferguson's meal tray. He relieved the current officer on duty and walked into her cell, shutting the door behind him. She was calmer than she had been that morning.

"Your dinner," Jake said as he handed her the tray.

Ferguson took the tray and set it down on the bed next to her. He leaned against her desk as he watched her eat.

"So… Are you going to tell me what was going on with you this morning?" Jake asked.

Ferguson continued eating, ignoring Jake's question.

"You said you wouldn't hurt Smith. If I hadn't walked in, you and me both would be in the shit right now."

"You can rest easy now. Smith agreed to not appear in court tomorrow, which means you are in the clear as well," Ferguson quietly spoke.

"What, you're just gonna trust her word?"

"While I am certain that she would keep her word given the hope to have Allie back, it never hurts to have a backup plan."

"Which is what exactly?"

"Your men intercept the correct van this time."

"What?"

"Should Smith leave this prison in the morning, your men will stop her from making it to the courthouse."

"How… How will they know to stop her?"

"If it comes down to it, you will accompany her and keep your men informed. I'm sure Vera would be more than happy to let you escort Smith to the courthouse."

"…They're going to need payment up front…"

"Which you will happily cover and which I will happily pay you back once I am freed from this hellhole."

"I don't have that kind of…"

"I highly doubt Smith's kidnapping would cost more than Allie's murder, Jake."

"…Wait… Wait so… you wanted Allie killed but you just want Bea kidnapped?"

"I want to see her suffer, and quite honestly I've waited much too long to have anyone take that away from me. So tomorrow you will keep an eye on her, and should she leave this prison for any reason, make sure to set her aside for me."

There was a knock on the door. Jake opened it to see that Lawson had arrived for the last shift to watch over Ferguson.

"Everything all right?" Lawson asked as he looked from Jake to Ferguson.

"Yeah, just bringing Ferguson her dinner," Jake responded as he walked out of the cell.

"Take care, Mr. Stewart," Ferguson responded before continuing to eat.

Jake walked out of the unit. Once she had finished eating, Ferguson handed the tray to Lawson before shutting the door to her cell. He placed it on the table in the common area and went to stand next to Ferguson's door, taking a deep breath as he looked at the clock.

…

Jake made his way outside to the car park. He entered his car and drove out onto the road towards his house. As he drove home, he stopped at a light and checked his phone to see a message from Vera, giving him her address and letting him know she was excited to see him soon. Jake replied with a smiley face before shoving his phone inside his pocket.

When Jake finally arrived home, he pulled his car into the garage and parked, leaving the engine on as he watched the garage door close behind him in the mirror. Jake took a deep breath and shut off the car. He reached for the bag he carried with him to work, setting it down in his lap and beginning to search through it. As he was doing so, a baseball bat smashed through his window.

"FUCK!" Jake yelled out as the bat nearly struck him in the face.

Vic unlocked the door and threw it open, moving back to allow Turk the freedom to drag Jake out of his car and push him up against it, holding a gun to his head.

"So, funny story," Turk began. "Ol' Vic and me were trying to take care of another job, and to our surprise, guess who we find still rotting away in our warehouse?"

"Turk, I was looking for my phone and was just about to call you…"

"You see this?" Turk asked, pointing towards his bandaged ear. "Your little cunt did this to me and paid for it, so now it's time to collect from you."

"We want the rest of our money, Jake," Vic added as he brought his bat down on the windshield of Jake's car.

"Just… Just please give me a little more time! I… I have another job for you guys and…"

"YOU'VE HAD ENOUGH TIME!" Turk screamed as he took the safety off the gun.

"Please! Please, Turk! Please don't!" Jake cried. "I'll… I'll get you the rest of the money tonight but…"

"You have until ten, and I swear if you try to skip out on us…"

"No, no, no! No, I won't! I just… I just need a little time to get it, but you'll get it tonight! And, and you can make double the money if you guys do one more job for me tomorrow, huh? What do you say, fellas?" Jake sheepishly asked, looking from Turk to Vic.

Vic and Turk looked at each other. Vic nodded, and Turk lowered the gun.

"We'll be at the warehouse. If you're not there by…"

"I'm right behind you guys, I promise! I'm on my way to get the money now, and, and, and then I'll head your way."

Turk placed the gun in the back of his pants before slapping Jake lightly on the face and laughing. He walked towards the garage door and pulled it open, as Vic walked by Jake and spooked him, causing Jake to flinch. Turk and Vic walked out of the garage cackling. Jake watched them leave as he slid down the car to the floor, pulling his hair then rubbing his face.

…

"Head count!" Miles called out as she stepped into H1.

Sonia, Maxine, Boomer, Doreen, and Liz all stood next to their doors. Miles marked them off one by one before she stopped outside Bea's cell. Miles peeked inside the door window and saw Bea wrapped in her blanket turned towards the wall, her red hair peeking out over the blanket and her wheelchair in front of the window.

"Smith?" Miles asked, tapping on the window.

"She wasn't feeling well after dinner, Ms. Miles. She came back and just passed out," Maxine said as she walked to stand next to Miles.

Miles looked back inside and nodded before marking Bea off on her roster and heading towards the unit gate. She walked out and closed it behind her, locking it as she wished everyone a good night. The women all went to sit down in the common area, as Liz turned on the television.

"I hope Bea's okay," Doreen said.

"She'll be fine," Sonia responded as she rolled down her sleeves.

…

Lawson returned to C3 after his break, stepping inside the unit and walking towards Ferguson's cell. He walked by her door, quickly glancing inside before stopping in his tracks. Lawson walked back to look inside her door's window, not seeing her anywhere in the cell. He opened the door and walked inside, looking behind the door then back towards the bed, confused and agitated to find that she was not there.

"Oh shit…"

Before he could finish his thought, Lawson was knocked out by a hammer to the back of his head, falling face first to the floor. Bea threw the hammer on Ferguson's bed and reached for one of Ferguson's sweaters, wrapping it around Lawson's eyes and tying it behind his head. She bent down and grabbed his handcuffs, taking both his hands and securing the cuffs to them behind his back. Bea grabbed a towel from Ferguson's bed and rolled it up before she bent over and placed it over his mouth, making sure that he was biting down on it before tying it behind his head. She took Lawson's radio and popped out the back, taking the batteries out of it and hiding them in the openings of the curtains before hiding the radio in Ferguson's pillowcase. Bea adjusted her latex gloves and the bandana that covered her entire face except for her eyes and pulled her hood down as far as she could to cover her forehead. She took Lawson's swipe card and his keys before she walked out of the cell and shut the door behind her.

Bea walked out of C3 and closed the gate. She made her way down the halls back to H block, rushing but taking extreme caution to elude any cameras and avoid any officers. She made it to H3 and swiped the card to unlock the unit. Kaz and her two crewmembers emerged from their cells, all wearing latex gloves Mel had taken from the kitchen, their faces completely covered except for their eyes. They all shut their doors behind them as they walked towards the exit, one of the crewmembers carrying a broom. Bea handed the swipe card and keys to Kaz, who walked out of H3 with her crewmembers ahead of her before shutting the gate behind her and disappearing around the corner. Bea walked into Allie's cell and stood behind the door as she waited.

…

Kaz and her crewmembers maneuvered the halls, pushing any cameras they encountered towards the ceiling, avoiding the officers who were on night duty, all the way to the administrative offices. Kaz swiped the card to throw open the door to the security room, letting her crew run in first to grab the officer who had his back turned to them and quickly cover his mouth. Kaz shut the door and rushed to them, standing next to the officer and holding a syringe to his throat.

"Disable the cameras and the radio comm system or you won't walk out of here alive tonight," Kaz ordered in a low voice.

The terrified officer quickly nodded his head before leaning forward to use the computer as he shook. Kaz looked up at the monitors to see them all go from live feeds to static. She turned back towards the officer.

"Good boy. Now override the security gates," Kaz demanded.

The guard nervously shook his head as Kaz's crewmember slowly removed her hand from his mouth.

"No, I, I can't do that, I'll…"

"Do it now. All of them, internal and external," Kaz gritted through her teeth as she brought the syringe to touch the officer's skin.

"I'll, I'll be…"

"DO IT!"

"Okay! Okay! Please just… Please don't hurt me!"

"NOW!"

The officer turned back towards his computer, his hands trembling as he used it. Kaz turned towards her crewmembers and nodded.

"Where do you keep the guns?"

…

Maxine, Boomer, Liz, and Doreen all turned their eyes towards the hall when they heard the unit gate unlocking. They all rose up from their seats in the common area. The commotion outside their unit began not ten seconds after the internal security gates had been unlocked with dozens of inmates now running through the halls.

"Sonia, it's time!" Liz called out.

Sonia walked out of her cell, for the first time wearing a prison-issued uniform, her face covered by a bandana, her hair hidden underneath her jacket's hood.

"I must admit I look good in teal," Sonia said as she adjusted her latex gloves and headed over to Bea's cell.

Maxine opened the door and they both walked inside. Sonia sat down in the wheelchair and put her hands in her pockets as Maxine grabbed the handles of the wheelchair. Boomer pulled open the gate and stepped aside to allow Maxine and Sonia to exit the unit. Boomer, Liz, and Doreen all walked into Bea's cell. Liz walked towards the bed and pulled back the blanket to reveal a pile of sweaters, pants, and pillows along the length of the bed and a wig that had been dyed red resting atop Bea's pillow. Liz took the wig and handed it to Boomer, who left the cell and went back into her own, sitting in front of the toilet and beginning to rip the wig apart and drop it inside. Liz and Doreen began to grab Bea's clothing articles and fold them, placing them back on her shelves.

With the gates to all the blocks within the prison unlocked, the inmates went insane. They took advantage and grabbed clothing or pillowcases that would cover their hair and faces as they ran out of their units to experience the adrenaline, to enjoy the opportunity to go a little crazy while they could, to join the other women who ran through the halls screaming and celebrating their false freedom. The inmates rushed the halls, heading for other blocks, for the yards, for the kitchen, for the medical unit, for any place beyond their own cold, confining units.  
The officers scattered to try to contain the situation, but they soon realized they were at a loss as to what to do as the prisoners stampeded towards them, pushing them back and knocking them down. The radios of the officers had become bricks, and no matter how many times they pressed the duress signals, no alarms would sound. Some officers reached for their pepper sprays before having them knocked out of their hands or stolen, some officers were robbed of their swipe cards and keys, some officers hid in the empty units, and some officers had no choice but to run with the hordes of prisoners, hoping to reach the safety of the administrative offices.

Her face and hair covered now as well, Maxine rushed and pushed Sonia in Bea's wheelchair towards C3, a task that proved a bit difficult as the other inmates were coming and going in all directions. Once they arrived at C3, Maxine pushed Sonia all the way to the spare cell and shut the door behind them once they were inside.

"Any trouble?" Bea asked as she watched Sonia stand from the chair.

"Other than the women all going fucking crazy, no," Maxine responded.

Bea nodded and gestured with her head towards the bed, where an unconscious Ferguson was lying, her hair covered by her jacket's hood, her face hidden by a bandana. Between the three of them, they lifted and sat Ferguson down in the wheelchair.

"Okay, get to transport, and I'll be right behind you," Bea ordered.

Maxine nodded and pulled Ferguson out of the cell. Bea reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. She took Sonia's hand in hers.

"Sonia, if I don't come back…"

"Don't say that…"

"No, please listen. If I don't make it back, please read this at the courthouse. And again, thank you. Thank you for all you've done for me."

Sonia took the paper from Bea and nodded before placing it in her pocket. Bea hugged her and Sonia hugged her back tightly. Bea pulled away from Sonia and headed towards the door.

"Take care, Bea."

Bea stopped and turned around for a second, nodding and softly smiling before rushing out of the unit into the chaos. Sonia stood in front of the mirror and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She walked out of the cell and looked inside the cell of the only other C3 inmate to see it was empty. She peeked inside Ferguson's cell and saw the unconscious officer. Sonia reached into the back of her pants and pulled out the screwdriver she had taken from Bea's tackboard before quietly stepping into the cell.  
Sonia tiptoed over the officer and walked towards the window. She raised the screwdriver and began to carve Jianna's name into the glass. Content with scratching it into enough places in the windows, Sonia pulled the curtains closed. She turned towards the bed and lifted the sheet, burying the screwdriver inside the mattress before she walked out and quietly shut the door behind her.

…

Some officers managed to make it to the administrative offices, only to be greeted by prisoners ransacking the area. Some officers ran towards the staffroom to try to get ahold of their cellphones, but likewise arrived to find masked inmates tearing the room apart. Seeing the officers walk in, the inmates yelled and jeered at them, many chasing the officers out of the staffroom and administrative offices.

Maxine arrived at the transport area and met up with Kaz and her crew before they all ran together towards a transport van. Bea caught up to them not five seconds later. Mel opened the back of the van as Maxine and Kaz's crewmember picked Ferguson up out of the wheelchair and pushed her inside the back of the van. Mel folded the chair and placed it in the back of the van as well. Kaz handed the guard's swipe card, keys, and van keys to Bea, all of which Bea shoved inside her pockets.

"Gate's open," Kaz said as she watched Maxine and Mel close the van doors. "And if Tina's right about the dosage in her food, you've still got about an hour left before Ferguson starts to come to but… just in case…"

Kaz pulled a syringe out of her pocket and handed it to Bea who hesitated at first but took it and placed it in her pocket.

"Boomer's leading a group out but from what I saw, I think a lot of the women are just running out on their own," Maxine added.

"Thank you all so much," Bea said, looking around at all the women.

Maxine stepped forward and hugged Bea. Kaz stepped forward and held out a handgun to Bea. Bea looked up at Kaz.

"Six shots. Make 'em count, Smith" Kaz said as she saw the concern in Bea's eyes.

Bea nodded and took the handgun, before looking Kaz in the eyes.

"You look after my girls," Bea said, her voice cracking.

"You know I will," Kaz nodded.

The women all turned towards the prison gate when they heard the screams of inmates coming closer and closer. Bea ran around to the driver's side of the van and shoved the key into the ignition, starting the vehicle, flooring the gas, and driving through the garage opening. She turned to look for a second in the mirror to see the teal mob of women running out of the prison gate and garage in all directions. Bea turned back towards the road and drove past the deserted security booth, through the open gate, out onto the road, and into the night.


	19. Chapter 19: Monsters & Saints

Unable to continue down the street due to the barricades, blocked off areas, and swarm of police, medical, news, and media vehicles, Vera pulled her car off to the side of the road. She and Jake exited the car and were immediately accosted by reporters and camera crews questioning the objectives of the prison riot, commenting on possible clues or conditions that could have predicted the unrest, and insulting the staff and management of the prison. Vera and Jake ignored the reporters and cameras that surrounded them, choosing to only push through the crowd and identify themselves to the officers guarding the area before being allowed to pass through. They were led to a police vehicle. They both entered the car and impatiently waited as they were driven the remainder of the way to the prison while the officer informed them of the perimeter that had been established to attempt to keep civilians out and keep inmates inside.

As they made their way down the road, Jake and Vera witnessed prisoners being tackled, handcuffed, and escorted in the direction of the prison by members of the SESG. Police dogs ran throughout the area as well, one taking an inmate down who still struggled as the dog bit down on her leg. Eventually, the car pulled into the transport area of the prison that was filled with emergency vehicles, officers, and medics. Some officers and inmates were being treated on-site, while others had to be hauled away due to the severity of their injuries. Vera and Jake exited the car and ran up to Will who was yelling out at both inmates and officers, trying to help control the situation. Riot squads herded captured prisoners into the muster point, an area currently holding at least thirty inmates. Vera pulled Will away to speak to him.

"What's the situation?" Vera asked as she watched a bleeding prisoner being carried into an ambulance.

"According to the officer on duty in the security room, three inmates broke in and threatened him, demanding a shutdown of the radios, cameras, and panic buttons, an override of all security gates, and access to the weapons locker before beating him unconscious. The security room monitors and computers were destroyed after, but we don't know if that was done by the same inmates or by others that also had access to administration since many officers lost their swipe cards and keys during the chaos."

"That… Those are incredibly specific demands," Jake noted as he looked up to see a helicopter flying over.

"Not just any inmate would think to disable the radios and alarms and especially to override all the security gates," Vera added.

"There's more. I've heard that another officer was threatened by two inmates to hand over keys to a van before being handcuffed to a desk in the office, but I have yet to debrief with that officer."

"Wait so… So inmates have escaped in one of our vans?" Vera asked nervously.

"Yes, Governor. We're still trying to do head counts, but it'll be a while before everything settles enough to know exactly who all is missing. There was a delay in the SESG's arrival due to no one being able to call in the riot thanks to the prisoners attacking any guards in admin, but there is a search out for the van and whatever inmates took it."

"The ringleaders of the circus obviously," Jake claimed as he looked around.

"We don't know that. Everyone was masked with clothes, bandanas, pillowcases, and sheets, including those who attacked our security room and transport guards and all those who ransacked and escaped the prison. Officers had their equipment stolen and inmates were able to get to every area of the prison. So it could've been the organizers of the riot or it could've been inmates who knew how to best take advantage of the situation to escape."

"Are all officers accounted for?" Vera asked.

"All except for Lawson."

"Lawson? He was on Ferguson watch," Jake said.

As Vera and Jake looked at each other, Miles approached them all, handing Jake and Vera radios.

"Where's your uniform, Jake?" Miles asked.

"Uh… I thought I could change once I got here," Jake lied, as he couldn't say that he had been at Vera's house.

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen, mate. Staffroom's been turned upside down," Will said.

"We'll go in to find Lawson," Vera ordered.

Miles nodded and walked away. Once informed of the current status of the prison, Vera and Jake headed into the building. The scene inside the prison was as chaotic as the scene outside. Head counts were ongoing, a task that proved difficult as the halls were flooded with officers and inmates coming and going in all directions. Even inside, some inmates still fought back against the armed guards who beat them with batons.

When Jake and Vera arrived at C3, they found the gate closed but unlocked. Vera pulled the gate open and walked inside to Ferguson's cell. Vera opened the door and saw Lawson on the floor squirming around with his hands handcuffed behind his back. Jake ran inside and pulled off the sweater and towel binding Lawson's eyes and his mouth as Vera leaned down to unlock and remove his handcuffs.

"What happened?" Vera asked as she looked at the bloody hammer on Ferguson's bed.

"That fucking freak attacked me!" Lawson yelled as Jake helped him sit up.

"Ferguson?" Jake asked.

"Do you know any other ones?" Lawson asked as he brought his hand to the back of his head.

"…Come with us, you need medical attention," Vera ordered as she noticed Lawson's bloody fingers.

Lawson nodded and Jake helped him stand up, hooking an arm over his shoulder as he walked out of the cell. Vera looked around the cell, noticing scratching in the window. She walked towards the window and slightly pulled back the curtain to see Jianna's name carved into the glass.

"Governor!" Jake called out.

Vera let go of the curtain and walked out of the cell, leaving everything in its place for the investigators.

…

Bea held the phone in her left hand as she continued driving down the road. After having entered the latitude and longitude coordinates received from the photos, she was able to set the phone's GPS to direct her towards the place where they had been taken. After driving for nearly an hour, the phone signaled she was finally arriving at her destination, something that unsettled her as she had driven along empty gravel roads for the past fifteen minutes.

When she finally saw the building marked off as the destination, she shut off the van's headlights before slowing down, pulling to the side of the road, and coming to a complete stop. Bea threw the phone, keys, and swipe card on the floor of the passenger's side before stepping out of the van and walking around to the back to unlock the doors. She slowly pulled open the doors to see that Ferguson was still unconscious and lying on the floor. She climbed inside the van, took off Ferguson's bandana, and reached underneath the hood of Ferguson's hoodie, pulling out two strands of her hair before jumping back out of the van. Bea ran back towards the driver's side of the van and threw the van keys and bandana inside and dropped Ferguson's strands of hair in the driver's seat before gently closing the door and running back.

Bea pulled out the wheelchair and set it up on the ground before she grabbed Ferguson by her legs and dragged her out to land in it. She stepped inside the van and took off her own bandana, throwing it to the side before she pulled out the gun. Bea took a deep breath, before suddenly smashing the gun against her nose with all her strength. She stumbled backwards and squeezed her eyes shut tight, bending over for a few seconds as her blood dripped down onto the floor of the van. Still bent over, Bea cleaned the blood off the gun with her palm before placing it in her pocket. Afterwards, she quickly jumped back out of the van and released the locks on the wheelchair before taking her gloves off and placing them on Ferguson's hands. Bea crouched down in front of Ferguson and grabbed her right hand, pressing it below her own nose and dragging Ferguson's palm across it to wipe off some of the blood. She stood back up and pulled her sleeves down to cover her hands before she pulled the gloves off of Ferguson and threw them on the ground before she shut the van doors, grabbed the handles of the wheelchair, and pushed Ferguson down the rest of the road towards the run-down building.

…

Kaz and her two crewmembers sat in the H3 common area, watching as the officers rushed down the halls, scrambling to return inmates to their own units. Mel looked up at the clock before turning to look back at Kaz.

"How much longer do you want to wait?" Mel asked.

Kaz looked up at the clock.

"If she didn't run into any trouble, she might be there by now, but…"

"…But what?"

"But there's no telling who's in that place…"

"…It'll still take some time for police to arrive. Don't overlook that, Kaz."

Kaz looked back up at the clock and nodded. She stood up from the couch and walked into her cell, shutting the door behind her. She reached for her television and popped out the back panel, reaching inside and pulling out a phone. Kaz leaned against the space next to the door and began to use it. She opened up the GPS application and looked at the time, trying to estimate the time Bea would have arrived at the coordinates she had given her from the photos. Kaz closed the application and dialed a number.

"Hey, everything good?... Okay great, call it in in the next five minutes… Yeah… Remember, just point them in the direction of where you saw the van go… There's squads out looking for it already so hopefully you'll just be giving them the last lead they need… Thanks."

Kaz hung up the phone, taking a deep breath before hiding it inside the television and walking out of her cell back into the common area.

…

Jake looked down at his watch, growing nervous as he realized he had to leave soon if he wanted to make it in time to pay off Vic and Turk. He was currently unable to leave since Vera had driven him from her house to Wentworth, but he distracted himself with work as he tried to come up with a way to secure the payment quickly. As he was helping take down the names of the inmates in the muster point, some who admired and thanked him for wearing tight jeans instead of his uniform, Jake looked around to see Vera speaking with the medic taking care of Lawson as Will approached her.

"Governor, do you have a sec?"

Vera nodded and walked away from Lawson.

"What is it?"

Will gestured to walk with him. They made their way towards another ambulance where Miles and an SESG officer were standing and saw a nervous and crying Doreen sitting in the back getting her forehead stitched by a medic.

"Anderson, what happened?" Vera asked.

"Governor," Doreen began. "You have to help her! Please help her!"

"What are you…"

"Ferguson has Smith," Miles interrupted.

"What?" Vera asked, unable to believe what she had heard.

"When, when the women were all going crazy with the units unlocked, I stood back, hiding in my cell, I was scared, and, and I just watched someone come into H1 and head for Bea's cell. I didn't know who it was at first, she was so calm, and she was covered up, but when I walked out to check on Bea… she walked out with Bea in her wheelchair, her face and hair covered up, and saw me and called me 'Jianna' and told me to stay back, that she was going to rectify everything and… and I tried to stop her but I, I couldn't, she was too strong!" Doreen cried.

"Ferguson did this to you?" Vera asked.

"I tried to fight her off because Bea wasn't moving or anything, but she slammed me into the gate!"

"It was quite the hit, but she'll be all right," the medic added as she cleaned the remaining blood off of Doreen.

"Did she hurt Smith?" Vera asked, looking back to Doreen.

"She must've because Bea wasn't responding! She was completely knocked out!"

"Anderson, calm down," Will spoke.

"You don't understand, she's…"

"Calm down," Will held his hand out as Doreen tried to stand up.

Miles beckoned for the SESG officer, Vera, and Will to follow her and walked away from the ambulance.

"There's a chance Ferguson got to Smith before the riot even started," Miles quietly spoke.

"What do you mean?" Vera asked.

"She was fine during dinner, but when I did head count for H1, Smith was out cold in her cell. Conway told me she had passed out after dinner."

"You think she might've been drugged?" Will asked.

"We all know that even in her current state, Smith wouldn't go down without a fight, and if the riot and all the commotion wasn't enough to wake her up… As for Ferguson… She was rattled this morning, a complete mess, and was accusing Jake of killing this Jianna person," Miles said.

"Who is Jianna?" the SESG officer asked looking at Vera.

Vera and Will turned to look at one another. Will looked down at the ground and took a deep breath. He was about to speak before Vera interrupted him.

"Come with me to Ferguson's cell," Vera said as she began walking.

…

Bea pushed Ferguson towards the side of the building, leaving her against the wall before she pulled the gun out of her pocket, holding onto it through the sleeve of her hoodie. She made her way around the corner towards the door. She tried to open it and was surprised to find it was unlocked. Bea took a deep breath before slowly opening the door and stepping inside.  
The warehouse was dark, lit up only by the moonlight entering through the windows near the rafters. Bea looked around the area, ensuring no one was within view before she ran back outside to get Ferguson and wheel her inside. Bea closed the door behind her before she turned to her left and pushed Ferguson towards the wall farthest from the door and out of sight behind a shelf full of boxes. She pulled Ferguson out of the chair, carefully setting her down on the floor on her back. Bea grabbed the wheelchair and pushed it as she hurried through the aisles in between the rows of shelves that nearly reached the ceiling, quietly rushing to find some sign of life in the area as she made her way through the warehouse. She stopped and abandoned the wheelchair next to a stack of boxes, turning it on its side before walking away.

…

Outside the warehouse, a car coming from the opposite direction Bea had come from pulled up to the building. Vic and Turk emerged from the vehicle, both men taking off gloves and throwing them inside the car before they closed the doors.

"Oi, Vic, looks like you fucked up Jakey's car so bad he had to borrow one," Turk laughed as he pointed towards the van.

"Fucker's probably inside shitting his pants 'cause he can't find us," Vic responded, looking down at his watch. "I guess he can help wrap his own Christmas present."

Vic and Turk laughed as Vic walked around to the back of the car and popped open the trunk. He reached inside to pull out a dirty, torn, and bloody body bag, bringing it close to his face before holding it back in disgust.

"We should see about getting disposable bags honestly," Vic laughed.

Vic handed the body bag to Turk before reaching back into the trunk and taking out his bloodstained metal baseball bat. Both men walked towards the door of the warehouse. Once they were inside, Vic turned around to lock the door behind him.

…

"How're the head counts going?" Vera asked as she approached Will in the transport area.

"Most have been returned to their units, but besides Smith and Ferguson there are still twelve inmates unaccounted for."

"Christ…" Vera said as she rubbed her face. "I was just informed of a call to emergency services alerting them to a transport van spotted not too far from the port."

"The port? What, are they trying to get away by boat?" Will asked.

"It's a possibility. In any case, the police are on its trail… But something's telling me this riot was planned… A well calculated distraction," Vera added as her eyes scanned the muster point filled with the inmates that had been caught outside of the prison.

"I was thinking the same thing…"

"What's your reasoning?"

"For starters, look at the timing, the night before Ferguson's trial, the trial that's more than set to put her away for good. Bit of a coincidence isn't it?"

"Exactly my point. No other way out for her and she realized it. Smith finally had her where we all wanted her… I mean, please, taking out Lawson to get his swipe card and keys with a hammer stolen from the maintenance room? Overriding the security gates to release all the prisoners and grant them access to absolutely every area of the building? Disabling the radios, cameras, and duress signals? It's… I mean… Smith was vulnerable. She had no chance in hell…"

"VERA!"

Vera turned to see an angry Channing approaching her.

"And let's not forget, this wouldn't be the first time Ferguson tries to make us all look like shit," Vera said to Will before walking over towards Channing.

…

Bea pushed a door that was slightly cracked open to a separate area near the back of the warehouse. She peeked inside to see that it was completely dark before reaching out to feel along the wall next to the door with the back of her hand. Bea found the light switch and flipped it on. Realizing the area was empty, she stepped inside and quietly shut the door behind her. She raised her arm to cover her nose and mouth and stifle her cough as the stench of the room hit her. Apart from the boxes stacked inside against a wall, the only other thing in the room was a table with industrial adhesives, hammers, and saws on it, a gas can and a container of bleach underneath it. Bea lowered her arm and walked around the area, her eyes scanning the entire space while carefully avoiding any of the blood on the floor as she made her way to the other side of the room, the foul odor becoming stronger and stronger the farther she walked.

As she walked while looking down at the floor, Bea came across a small red candle. Her heart sank as she bent over and picked it up, her eyes beginning to water when she saw the black, burnt wick. Bea put the candle in her pocket and kept moving forward, turning the corner and continuing to walk before finally stopping as the smell became unbearable when she approached something covered by a bloody tarp. Bea placed the gun in her pocket before she pushed the tarp back to reveal a large disposal bin holding multiple soiled, bloody, and motionless bodies. Without a second thought, Bea reached inside the ghastly, gory, and spine-chilling bin to move one body aside and pull out the only one she cared about as she began to cry.

Bea carried Allie away from the bin, ducking underneath a shelf and sitting down against the wall without letting go of her. Bea took the gun out of her pocket and set it down next to her. She hugged Allie as tightly as she could, as she broke down and rocked her back and forth. Bea held her and looked down at Allie, caressing her face, stroking the bruised and bloody areas around her eyes and her temples, and running her thumb over her torn and bloody lips as she tried to speak, her breathing quick and shallow, her voice cracking.

"Allie… Allie, it's me… Allie, I'm here…"

Bea softly patted Allie's face, doing her best to not hurt her anymore as she hopelessly tried to get a reaction out of her.

"Beautiful, you can wake up now, okay? You're stronger than this… Allie… Allie, please wake up… Please don't leave me…"

Bea hugged Allie again, crying into her shoulder as her racing heart pounded in her ears. She pulled her back and looked down at Allie again, grabbing her hand and running her thumb over her ring. She brought Allie's hand to her lips and placed a kiss on it. Bea interlocked her fingers with Allie's and held her hand as tightly as she could.

"Allie… I'm sorry… Allie… You promised you'd wait for me, remember? Allie, you promised… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

Bea gently wiped away the tears that had fallen on Allie's face. She then wiped away the tears from her own eyes, trying her best to force a smile as she held Allie.

"…It's gonna be okay."

Bea hugged Allie with all her strength one last time, kissing her on her forehead before she forced herself to let go of her. She gently laid Allie down on the floor in front of her, carefully pushing the loose strands of hair away from her face with her shaking fingers and tucking them behind her ears. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the candle before rolling up Allie's sleeve and placing it inside the dirty and bloody cast covering her left arm. She rolled Allie's sleeve down again and then pulled out the syringe Kaz had given her, taking the cap off of it before rolling up her own right sleeve, stopping for a second to run her fingers over her tattoo as she continued to cry. Bea held Allie's left hand again with her right hand as strongly as she could, leaning over to quietly speak to her.

"Wait for me, okay? You promised… Allie, please wait for me… I'll… I'll be with you soon… And… We'll run away together… I promise… I love you, beautiful girl."

Bea gripped Allie's hand as she brought the syringe to her forearm and injected herself, pressing down on the plunger as she watched the barrel empty. She kissed Allie's hand before gently placing it at her side and letting her go. Bea capped the syringe and placed it in her pocket. She rolled her sleeve down, covering her hand again before picking up the gun. Bea rose up from the floor, and stepped out from underneath the shelf, looking back at Allie one last time as she wiped her eyes before walking away from her.

…

Maxine, Liz, and Boomer sat in the common area of H1, watching the current chaotic state of their prison through the eyes of the media, while Sonia sat at the table, reading a book. Reporters focused on the incompetence of the prison staff, cited the untrue horrible conditions the inmates lived under that would lead to the unrest, and speculated about the objectives of the riot, all the reports being simple conjecture as no prison official had made an official statement to the press. The women couldn't help but laugh as they discussed each ridiculous theory.

As they continued watching, Jake and Doreen walked by their unit. Maxine, Liz, and Boomer all stood up as Jake unlocked the gate and opened it to let Doreen pass through.

"Thank you," Doreen said before walking to hug Liz.

"Is there any news about Bea, Mr. Stewart?" Maxine asked.

"…No… No, unfortunately," Jake responded.

Jake looked up at the clock, his eyes then going to the floor as he took a deep breath and realized he had missed his window to leave to pay off Turk and Vic in time. He looked back up and turned his attention towards the television.

"What are they saying?" Jake asked, pointing towards the television.

Maxine turned towards the television and then back to him. She shrugged and shook her head.

"Nonsense mostly."

Jake nodded before looking down the hall in both directions. He stepped into the unit and closed the gate behind him. Jake walked past the women to the common area and sat down in a chair, crossing his arms as he watched the news report. The women all looked at each other, clearly confused by his action. Sonia observed him for a few seconds before she stood up and approached him.

"Would you like some tea, Mr. Stewart?" she asked.

Jake looked up at her, his eyes watering as he quickly nodded his head.

"Yes. Thank you, Ms. Stevens."

Sonia nodded and headed towards the kitchen, gently squeezing his shoulder as she walked by him. Liz, Boomer, Doreen, and Maxine all looked at each other. Doreen went into her cell and shut the door behind her, lying down on her bed to get much needed rest. Maxine and Liz sat down at the table, and Boomer walked over to sit down on the sofa close to Jake, looking from him to the television.

"I, uh… I like your pants, Mr. Stewart," Boomer said.

Sonia spun around and Maxine and Liz stared at the two of them. Jake turned to look at Boomer, who seemed to be afraid of his reaction. A small smile came over his face before he began laughing and leaned over to pat Boomer's leg. He leaned back in his chair, laughing for a few more seconds before bringing his hands to his face and beginning to cry into them.

"No, no, no! I'm not making fun of you! They're really nice pants, Mr. Stewart!" Boomer cried out as she stood up, waving her hands in front of him.

Maxine and Liz walked over to Jake, all the women mouthing to each other and asking one another what to do. Boomer hesitated before she lightly patted Jake on his shoulder. Noticing he didn't oppose, Maxine followed suit and began patting Jake on his back. Sonia smiled at the display before walking over and standing in front of Jake, pulling his hand away from his face and handing him the cup of tea.

"Thank…Thank you," Jake sniffled as he took the mug.

"It'll be okay, Mr. Stewart," Sonia said.

Jake looked up at Sonia before looking around at all the women and nodding.

…

Bea walked past the bin and stopped to look inside at the other bodies, the odor no longer affecting her. As she began to walk again, she stopped in her tracks when she heard voices.

"Where are you, Jakey?" Turk called out as he opened the door to the separate area and set the body bag down on the floor.

"Turk… Turk, I'm starting to think that maybe Jake's not in here… He would've said something by now," Vic said as he looked around.

Turk turned back to look at him before looking around the room.

"Go check outside," Turk ordered.

Vic nodded and hurried back out into the main area of the warehouse in the direction of the door. Turk pulled out a gun and took the safety off. He walked towards the end of the room, holding his gun out as he quickly rounded the corner. He stopped and lowered the gun before he continued forward, as nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He walked past the tarp-covered bin, slowing when he noticed something underneath the shelf along the wall ahead of him.

Turk carefully came closer, and before he could say anything upon seeing Allie, Bea shot him in both of his legs and once in his back. Turk fell to the floor face first, screaming, shaking, and bleeding. Bea threw the tarp completely off and climbed out of the bin and ran over to take his gun, ensuring she picked it up through her sleeve and remained out of his sight before running back and rounding the corner. Bea threw the syringe on the table, dropped Turk's gun, and kicked it towards the wall underneath the table, only to stumble and have to lean against the beam in the room as the effects of the injection began to kick in.

Vic was about to unlock the door when he heard the gunshots. He dropped his bat on the floor and pulled out a gun.

"Turk! Turk, what happened? Are you all right?" he yelled out.

Vic made his way back towards the room, holding his gun out before he went back inside. He walked slowly towards the other end of the room and turned the corner, rushing up to Turk as he looked in all directions.

"Fuck, what happened?! Turk?! Turk, talk to me! Who did this?!"

"Jake… He… He's in here…" Turk stammered as he shook and pointed towards the shelf.

When Vic saw Allie underneath the shelf, he ran his hand through his hair. He looked back down at Turk.

"Fuck… Fuck, fuck, fuck…"

Vic ran back and kept his gun held in front of him as he exited the room back into the main area of the warehouse.

"So! You think you can just kill us, you fucking piece of shit? Come out and try me, you fucking coward!" Vic yelled as he began to walk towards the door, turning in all directions as he did so.

Her vision becoming blurry, Bea kept her distance as she followed Vic, hiding among the shelves, ducking behind boxes, and remaining out of sight. Vic made it to the door and frantically tried to unlock it as he held the gun out and continued to point it in all directions. Bea made her way towards him, now struggling to walk. Once she felt she was close enough to get a good shot, Bea lifted the gun and fired it in his direction twice as Vic threw the door open, missing as he ran out and slammed the door behind him. He ran to enter his car, started it, and sped off.

Bea nearly fell but held herself up by leaning on a shelf for support. She squeezed her eyes shut tight and opened them up again, trying to find the strength to keep going. Bea practically dragged her feet as she made her way down the long aisle back to Ferguson, all the while looking down at the floor. She nearly fell, again stopping to grab onto the shelves next to her for support before she ultimately collapsed as she heard a helicopter flying over.

Bea let go of the gun and pushed it to slide it forwards before she placed her hands on the cold floor and dragged herself in the same direction. She covered the gun with her hand again and slid it forward before dragging herself towards it again. As she was about to slide the gun forward again, she screamed when the metal baseball bat was brought down on her back.

Bea gripped the gun and rolled over before Ferguson quickly kicked it out of her hand. Ferguson raised the bat again, and Bea rapidly lifted her left arm to shield her face as Ferguson brought it down on her, the force of the vicious strike immediately shattering her bone and splitting her forearm in two. Bea cried out from the excruciating pain as her disfigured arm fell to the side. Out of breath, Ferguson smiled as she walked over to place her right foot down on Bea's left arm, enjoying the piercing cries that came out of her as she applied pressure on it.

"You know, Smith," Ferguson began over Bea's screams. "We're alike, you and I… We will do whatever it takes to get what we want… And when the opportunity arises to get what we want… We will stop at nothing to seize it."

Ferguson lifted her left foot and stomped down on Bea's chest three times with all her strength, remaining completely unfazed by the cracking sound and ensuing screams she heard.

"There have been a lot of moving pieces in our long game of chess… We've played so many pawns to learn one another's strategies… relied on so many knights to defend ourselves… and you were even ruthless enough to sacrifice your queen…"

Ferguson threw the bat as far away as possible and walked over to the gun. Bea forced herself up off the floor and ran to throw herself on Ferguson from behind as she was bending over to pick up the gun. Bea hooked her right arm around Ferguson's neck, holding onto her with all her might. Ferguson backed up and pushed Bea back into the wall, having to slam her back three times before she finally loosened her hold. As Ferguson pulled Bea's arm off of her, she quickly spun around, thrust the gun into Bea's abdomen, and pulled the trigger.

Ferguson held her pushed up against the wall, both women looking into each other's eyes as Bea began to convulse. A smile crept over Ferguson's face as she took pleasure in the pain in Bea's eyes. Bea lifted her right hand and wrapped her arm around Ferguson's neck, desperately clinging to her as she rested her head on Ferguson's shoulder. Ferguson held onto Bea as she carefully lowered her and set her down on the floor on her back and stood over her, her feet on either side of Bea, enjoying the sight of Bea bleeding out beneath her. Ferguson raised the gun again and aimed it down at Bea's forehead.

"Godspeed, Queen Bea."

Ferguson pulled the trigger. Despite the grueling and horrifying pain in her arm, her back, her stomach, and her chest, Bea began to quietly laugh as she watched the confusion come over Ferguson as she went to pull the trigger a second and then a third time. She released the magazine from the gun into her hand, only to realize there were no more bullets inside.

Ferguson pushed the magazine back into the gun and looked around the area. She looked back down at Bea, who was still shaking but smiling as Ferguson began to slowly back away from her. Suddenly, Bea kicked Ferguson in both her legs with all her force, causing Ferguson to fall face first on top of her before Bea quickly wrapped her disfigured arm around Ferguson's neck and interlocked it with her right arm, ignoring the extraordinary pain as she held onto Ferguson. She wrapped her legs around Ferguson, holding onto her with what little strength she had left.

Ferguson hit her head with the gun and pushed back against Bea with her other hand. She began punching Bea in her stomach and chest, digging her fingers into her bullet wound, but ultimately failing to get Bea to release her hold on her. When Bea heard shouting outside, she finally let go of Ferguson, letting her legs and arms fall to the floor. When the door was thrown open, Ferguson looked up to see armed police officers rush into the warehouse. She looked back down at Bea, who softly smiled up at her.

"Checkmate…" Bea whispered before closing her eyes.

The officers screamed at Ferguson, holding rifles up to her and commanding her to drop the gun. Ferguson let go of the gun and began trying to speak as she sat up off of Bea, her words falling on deaf ears as an officer grabbed her and threw her down on the floor to handcuff her, as a swarm of officers began to run through the warehouse, as the sirens of the emergency vehicles drowned out her futile cries for help.


	20. Chapter 20: Resistance

Franky sat in the waiting room of the hospital, her right leg rapidly bouncing up and down. She looked at her phone to check the time, growing impatient when she realized only five minutes had passed since she last checked. Franky looked up at the ceiling and took a deep breath before looking forward again. A woman sitting a few chairs away from her was staring at the floor, barely blinking. A doctor approached the woman and asked her to walk with her. They walked not too far off, and after speaking for a few seconds, the woman broke down and began to cry. Franky forced herself to look away. She watched all the nurses, all the doctors, all the patients, all the visitors go by, not focusing on any single one of them, just searching for the one person she needed to see. When she finally saw the neurosurgeon approach, Franky stood up and rushed towards her.

"What happened, Dr. Shaw? How'd it go? How is she? Is she okay?" Franky asked.

"We cleared the subdural hematoma without any complications."

Franky let out a deep breath, smiling and quickly nodding when she heard the news, running her hands over her face as she tried to calm down.

"We've attached a catheter to drain any collected blood but she's resting now," Dr. Shaw continued. "Beyond that, once she wakes up, we'll be able to determine if there are any cognitive issues resulting from the TBI."

"Can I see her?"

"If it were up to me, you'd be able to maybe in a day or two, once her CT scans clear her for removal of the catheter, but I'm not sure the guard would allow you to."

"Right…" Franky replied, looking down at the floor.

"…She's all right now, okay? You don't have to worry anymore."

Franky looked up at her and forced a smile, tears welling in her eyes.

"Yeah… Thank you, Dr. Shaw…" Franky replied, swallowing hard. "But can I… Can I just see her from outside the room at least?"

Dr. Shaw took a deep breath before nodding and gesturing for Franky to walk with her, which Franky eagerly did.

"Different guard from the last one I saw. Maybe he's more easily persuaded?" Dr. Shaw said as she stopped and patted Franky on her back.

"…Yeah, maybe…" Franky softly spoke upon seeing the guard. "Thanks again, Dr. Shaw."

Dr. Shaw smiled and walked back, leaving Franky to walk the remaining distance. Jake turned to look at her as she approached the door and stopped next to him.

"Hey… Remember me?" Franky asked.

"Yeah… Hard to forget the person who attacks your boss then gives you a bloody nose," Jake replied before looking away.

"Yeah… Sorry about that… Can I…" Franky began, pointing towards the door.

"No one can go in."

"I… I know that. I just… Can I just look inside at least?"

"…How do you know her?"

"…Bea and I go way back."

"…Oh… You're Franky, aren't you?"

Franky nodded.

"…I'm Jake… Governor told me you'd be around… I'm sorry about…"

Jake looked down at the floor before looking back up at her. Realizing he wasn't going to finish his sentence, Franky could only nod again.

"So… Does that mean you knew Ferguson too?" Jake asked, trying to change the subject.

"Unfortunately."

"…Must be anxious about another of trial of hers being delayed again."

"… Kind of… Kind of just ready for this all to be over," Franky said before taking a deep breath.

Jake observed Franky for a few seconds before nodding and stepping away from the door. Franky mouthed a thank you as she stepped in front of the door to peek in through the window. Jake stood behind her to look inside as well.

Allie was lying on a bed, her breathing barely perceptible. She was pale and bruised, part of her head had been shaved, and now in place of hair she had a freshly stitched incision running down the left side of her skull, a catheter leading from another part of her head to a collection bag.

"You knew them both?" Jake asked.

"…Yeah… Bea, uh… Last time we were in the hospital… Bea asked me to look after Allie in case… in case something happened to her…"

Franky's voice cracked. She stood next to the door and leaned against the wall, sliding down to the floor before she brought her knees up to her chest and folded her arms over them, bringing her head down and burying her face in them. Jake looked back inside at Allie then down the hall in both directions, doing his best to hold back his tears.

"They, uh… They gave me the stuff she had on her before they took her into surgery," Jake said, trying his best to keep his composure. "If I'm on duty maybe… maybe you could give them to her when she wakes up."

Jake reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny clear bag and handed it to Franky. Franky lifted her head and looked at the bag, smiling, but crying even harder as she took it and saw the candle and ring inside. She began to laugh in between tears as she opened the bag and took out the two items.

"You know… she asked me to get these things for Allie… It was her birthday… And Allie kept the fucking candle I can't even begin to…" Franky trailed off as she nervously shook her head.

Jake looked down at Franky, clenching his fist. Franky was alternating between crying and laughing hysterically.

"…She was so scared… She wasso fucking scared!" Franky cried. "And you wanna know what the last thing I said to her was? I told her… I told her everything's gonna be okay! I said… I'll see you soon, Red!" Franky added as she waved her hand once.

Jake walked to stand next to Franky and leaned against the wall, sliding down to the floor and then wrapping his right arm around her as she continued to cry.

…

Maxine, Liz, Boomer, Doreen, and Sonia all sat at the table in H1. The prison was still on lockdown following the riot, and they had no idea how long they would be confined to their units. The women flipped through magazines and books in silence.

"What if she doesn't come back?" Liz asked out of nowhere.

The women all turned to look at her before exchanging looks with one another.

"What if we all just sent her to her death?" Liz asked as she began to cry. "We shouldn't have helped her! She shouldn't have gone!"

"Shh, shh, Liz, don't say that," Maxine said, standing and walking over to comfort Liz.

"She would've left with or without our help," Sonia said, looking back down at her magazine.

"Was it worth it?! Huh?!" Liz screamed as she stood up and slammed her hands down on the table. "To get the fucking Freak for…"

"I'm going to have to ask you to lower your voice, Elizabeth."

"Why?! Don't want the whole world to know about your involvement?! Scared it'll affect your fucking trial?! She wouldn't have gone if it hadn't been for you!"

Sonia stared at her for a few seconds before turning back down towards her magazine.

"Elizabeth… Do you remember when my dear Susan beat the living shit out of you for lagging? Because I wasn't even here then, and _I_ remember it."

Liz looked at Sonia for a few seconds before she turned her attention towards Boomer who was confusedly looking from Doreen to Sonia.

"While I can understand you are upset, I am not about to sit here and listen to your unavailing complaints. You helped a friend in need. You helped a friend who had _absolutely nothing_ left here, and you made her bumpy road a little easier to traverse. That is nothing to regret. She was grateful for your help. If for some reason you doubt that, I'm sure Susan will have no problem reminding you of your good intentions. Isn't that right, Susan?"

Sonia made eye contact with Boomer who quickly nodded before turning to look towards Liz. Sonia looked back at Liz, who was shaking in fear.

"I will excuse your little outburst justthis once as we are all on edge. I suggest you go to your cell and try to sleep off your frustrations as none of us have the time nor the energy to deal with them quite honestly."

Liz stared at Sonia for a few seconds before storming off to her cell and shutting the door behind her. Maxine, Boomer, and Doreen all looked at each other, neither of them saying anything. Maxine sat back down at the table and picked up her book again.

"Are you finished with that?" Sonia asked, pointing towards Doreen's magazine.

Doreen looked down at it. She was in the middle of an article, but still nodded quickly and handed it to Sonia.

"Thank you," Sonia said, taking the magazine.

Doreen looked at Sonia for a second before turning towards Liz's cell then back to her.

"Can I make you some tea?" Doreen asked.

Sonia looked up at Doreen then back down at the magazine.

"Sure."

Doreen stood up and walked over to the kitchen. Sonia looked towards Bea's cell, taking a deep breath before turning her attention back to the magazine.

…

Allie slowly opened her eyes, wincing as she tried to adjust her eyes to the light. She took a deep breath before she turned to her right, feeling something pull at her head. Allie slowly raised her hand, carefully touching the catheter sticking out of her head. The door to her room opened and she turned to see a nurse walk inside. Jake followed the nurse inside and looked at Allie.

"See? She's awake!" Jake said, smiling as he looked at Allie.

"Allie, can you hear me?" the nurse asked, standing next to her.

"…Where… Where am I?" Allie asked, turning to face the nurse.

"You're at Freeman Hospital. How do you feel, sweetheart?"

Allie blinked, still trying to adjust to the light in the room.

"…What happened?" she asked.

As the nurse was about to answer, Detective Deacon entered the room. Jake turned around and walked towards him, pushing him back out into the hall.

"Get the hell out!" Jake yelled.

"I need to speak with her!" Deacon yelled back, pushing against Jake.

"You both need to leave now!" the nurse said as she watched the two men struggle.

Allie turned to look at all three people pushing against each other. She turned back to her right and closed her eyes again as she listened to the scuffle. It quieted down after a few seconds, and she heard the door close. The door opened again a minute later, but Allie kept her eyes shut.

"Allie?"

Allie opened her eyes to see a doctor standing over her.

"Good morning, sunshine! I'm Dr. Shaw. How are you feeling?"

"…What happened… Why am I here?" Allie asked as she reached to touch the catheter sticking out of her head again.

"You suffered a traumatic brain injury, and we had to operate to drain your blood clot, so… don't mess with that tube in your head," Dr. Shaw chuckled as she lowered Allie's hand. "Can you remember what brought you here?"

"…No… I…" Allie began as she stared at her bandaged wrists. "I don't remember anything…"

The door opened again, and Jake walked back inside the room, gently closing the door behind him. He approached the bed, dark circles highlighting his bloodshot eyes.

"Good to see you awake again!" Jake said with a beaming smile.

Allie stared at him for a few seconds before looking to Dr. Shaw. She looked back towards Jake.

"…Who are you?" Allie asked.

Jake's smile faded. He looked up at Dr. Shaw who looked up at him. She turned back towards Allie.

"…Allie, we're gonna run a few tests just to make sure everything's looking all right, okay? Hang tight. I'll be right back. Jake, will you come with me?"

Dr. Shaw looked up at Jake who followed her out of the room and closed the door.

"Did she know you before all of this?" Dr. Shaw asked.

"Yeah…" Jake said, peeking back inside the room.

"Well… Unfortunately, memory loss is consistent with a brain injury of her degree," Dr. Shaw sighed. "A hospital security guard is on his way up to assist you. Keep that detective and everyone else out, do you understand? We don't need anyone causing her any kind of stress at this time."

Jake nodded and watched Dr. Shaw walk away towards the nurse's station. He looked back into Allie's room to see she had closed her eyes again.

…

Sonia, Maxine, Liz, Doreen, and Boomer all sat at the H1 table, picking at the food on their trays in silence. The rest of the mess hall barely spoke as they ate their meals. When Will walked into the mess hall, the H1 table collectively stood up and wanted to approach him, but he held his hand out to stop them as he went to speak to one of the officers on duty. They spoke for a few seconds before Will walked back out of the mess hall. Sonia took a deep breath, looking towards the empty chair at the head of their table before turning to make eye contact with Kaz. She then gestured towards Maxine for them to leave, both women leaving their trays to Liz to clear before walking out of the mess hall. Kaz followed them out shortly after.

Sonia and Maxine made their way towards a shower block, entering and walking towards the sinks and leaning against them as they waited. Kaz came into the block a couple of minutes later.

"Any news from your contact?" Sonia asked.

"She says they brought Ferguson back here, but she's under constant surveillance by multiple officers, none of them even affiliated with Wentworth so… I doubt we'll be seeing her anymore."

"What about her trial?"

"They need more time to prep for the new charges, but she's not sure what they are exactly, just that it shouldn't take too long because apparently most of her counsel signed off. Didn't want to risk damaging their careers by associating themselves with Ferguson or such a shit case so… that has to mean she's gonna plead guilty to something."

"Any news about Bea and Allie?" Maxine asked.

"No…" Kaz said, looking down at the floor.

"…What is it?" Sonia asked.

"There's no news about either of them but she… She said that they found multiple bodies where they caught Ferguson, but… But their identities are being kept under wraps."

Sonia and Maxine turned to look at each other.

"Maybe… Maybe it's like last time? You know, trying to keep their identities protected until they can appear in court?" Sonia theorized.

"Maybe," Kaz shrugged. "But we don't even know if Allie was there at all. The department still has her marked as missing… As for Bea… No telling what Ferguson could've done to her once she woke up. I mean you two know that if Ferguson had the opportunity to get rid of Bea she wasn't going to pass it up and…" Kaz trailed off.

"…And what?" Maxine asked.

"…If Bea did… If she did find Allie there… I don't think she would have fought to stop Ferguson from taking that opportunity."

Sonia stared at Kaz before looking towards Maxine for a second, the worry they now felt evident in their eyes.

"Keep us updated, okay?" Sonia requested.

Kaz nodded before turning to walk out of the shower block. Sonia ran her hands across her face before turning to Maxine.

"Are you okay?" Maxine asked.

"What if Elizabeth was right? What if I did send her to die?"

"…Bea's the strongest woman I've ever known…"

"Everyone has their limits, Maxine… And I have to agree with Karen… If Bea found Allie's body… Ferguson would have been doing her a favor."

Maxine stared at Sonia, slowly nodding her head, unable to respond.

As Kaz made her way back towards the kitchen, she was stopped by Miles.

"Governor wants to see you," Miles said, gesturing to walk with her.

Nervous about what the reason could be for Vera wanting to speak to her but certain that it couldn't be a positive one, Kaz simply nodded and followed Miles to the office.

…

Franky leaned against the wall of the elevator, staring at the button panel as she went up the floors. The doors opened on the fifth floor, and Franky rushed down the halls towards Allie's room, slowing down when she saw Jake and another guard standing outside it. Franky walked up to Jake.

"Is she awake?"

Jake just nodded. Franky smiled as she peeked past him to see Allie sitting up in her bed and eating. The other security guard gently pushed Franky backwards as he stood in front of the door. Franky turned from him to Jake.

"I can't see her?" Franky asked.

"No one is allowed inside, ma'am," the guard answered.

"Oh, come on, this guy's cool with it. I have to give her her things back," Franky added as she pulled out the tiny bag with the ring and candle inside.

"Doctor's orders," the guard replied.

Jake gestured with his head towards Franky to follow him. They walked down the hall for a bit.

"What's going on? Dr. Shaw said I could see her last time I was here."

Jake took a deep breath before stopping and leaning against the wall.

"She… The TBI caused her a bit of memory loss."

Franky looked at Jake, a look of disbelief on her face.

"…What?"

"…She woke up and didn't know who I was and… Shaw says it makes sense given the blunt head trauma. I mean, after the accident and… whatever else was done to her in that place…"

"…You're kidding me."

Jake shook his head as he watched Franky. She looked down the hall then down at the floor.

"…How bad is it?"

"She keeps mentioning her friend Kaz, wants us to tell her she's here because she'll be worried but…" Jake cleared his throat.

"…But what?"

"She gave us Kaz's phone number and address. Said if she wasn't home they could find her at work or some women's shelter…"

Franky stared at Jake, knowing fully well what he was getting at.

"…Allie doesn't remember she's in prison, does she?"

Jake looked down at the floor and shook his head.

"Shaw reckons it'd be best for Kaz to come speak to her. She's concerned that telling her something like that could send her into a state of shock. They're bringing her soon so…"

Franky looked back down the hall towards Allie's room, unable to say a word to Jake as she tried to process everything.

"…You said you only knew her through Bea, right?"

Franky looked up at Jake, nodding.

"…I'm really sorry."

Franky took a deep breath before running her hand across her face and through her hair.

"I should get back," Jake said, pushing himself off the wall.

Franky simply nodded and watched him walk away. She took his place leaning against the wall as she stared down at the floor for a long time, not having the will to move from her spot. Franky finally turned to look up when she saw Dr. Shaw approach Allie's room out of the corner of her eye, speaking with Kaz, as a uniformed guard walked behind them. Franky watched as they stopped outside Allie's room and spoke to the other two guards for a brief moment before Dr. Shaw and Kaz walked into the room.

Franky looked down at the tiny bag she held with the ring and candle inside, taking a deep breath before she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Turning to look towards Allie's room one last time, Franky put the bag in her pocket then walked away.

…

Allie turned towards the door when she heard it opening. Dr. Shaw walked inside.

"Look who came to see you," Dr. Shaw said, smiling and stepping to the side to let Kaz pass through.

Allie smiled whereas Kaz immediately began to cry. Jake looked inside through the window of the door. Kaz walked over to Allie and hesitated for a few seconds before hugging her gently, afraid she would hurt her. Kaz placed her hands on Allie's face and smiled as she continued crying.

"Hey, bubba, how are ya?" Kaz whispered.

"Hey, mama," Allie laughed. "What happened?"

Kaz let go of Allie's face and grabbed her hand, running her hand up and down Allie's bandaged wrist.

"…You had a little accident, hun. Car flipped over and… You scared the shit out of us!"

"Wait what? Who was driving? Was someone giving me lessons? Oh fuck, did I hurt someone?" Allie nervously asked.

"No, no, no, calm down. Everyone's okay… Just… Allie… Allie, what's the last thing you can remember?"

Allie furrowed her eyebrows and smacked her lips.

"Uhmm… Setting up for the Christmas party at the shelter… I didn't miss it, did I?" Allie laughed as she looked from Dr. Shaw to Kaz.

Kaz looked up at Dr. Shaw, staring at her for a few seconds before she wiped the tears from her eyes and turned back towards Allie.

"No… No, sweetie… You didn't miss a thing."

"That's good to hear!" Allie exclaimed. "Had me worried there for a sec. Can I leave soon, Dr. Shaw? Wouldn't want to miss it."

"…No, Allie… We're gonna keep you here for a little while longer under observation, just to be on the safe side."

"Oh… Okay…"

Kaz forced a smile as she watched Allie take a drink of water. Allie looked Kaz up and down.

"What's with the teal? Bit monochromatic don't you think?" Allie asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kaz turned back to look at Dr. Shaw, who quickly shook her head.

"Oh you know… Hottest color of the season," Kaz laughed as she hugged Allie and began to cry again.

…

Sonia sat on her bed reading through the statement Bea had given her in case she didn't make it to Ferguson's trial. She couldn't help but read Bea's words over and over again, even though she had memorized them all and could have recited them from memory when she had finally been called in to testify and undergo cross-examination. The door to her cell opened, and Sonia looked up to see Kaz poking her head inside.

"Hi," Kaz greeted. "Do you have a sec?"

"Sure, come in," Sonia replied. "How's Allie doing?"

Sonia placed the statement inside Bea's sketchpad and closed it. Kaz stepped inside and sat down at the foot of Sonia's bed.

"She's coming back this week," Kaz said.

"Is she doing better?"

"Physically, yeah. Mentally… I don't know. I can't imagine waking up and having no memory of the hellhole you have to call your home."

"How has her counseling been going?"

"She says they're focusing on what reentry will be like, trying to prepare her for this place… She remembers life outside of here pretty well… Unfortunately for her it's not a lot of good stuff, you know? Her days turning tricks, waking up in gutters, life at the shelter, things the Red Right Hand did… I was there for a lot of it, but… it's still strange hearing her talk about it… Not… Not a lot of good memories before this place… How fucked up is that?"

"…Does she remember anything at all about Bea?"

"Believe me, I did my best to bring her name up as soon as I could, hoping maybe it would… it would trigger something… She remembers me telling her about the first time I met her… She was really into Bea," Kaz softly laughed. "But that's it. She was excited at the thought of getting to meet her."

"Did you tell her?"

"No. Her doctor kept warning me about giving her too much shit news all at once. I just told her that she had been transferred to another prison… We all looked up to Bea and… I don't know. I figured she would be better off just thinking her hero was safe and sound somewhere else… Still, you should've seen how disappointed she was that she wouldn't get to meet her."

"…It's for the best."

Kaz turned to look up at Sonia.

"Do you really think so?"

"…As much as you and the women of this particular unit want to deny it, we all know Bea was more focused on finding Allie, dead or alive, than she was in putting Ferguson away. She wanted Allie to be safe and happy above all else… Maybe this is a blessing in disguise. Now Allie won't have to repeat the trauma that put her in the hospital the first time."

Kaz looked down at the floor.

"…She thinks the cuts on her wrists are from the car accident."

"To be completely honest… I think it's better for her to think that that's what happened, wouldn't you agree?"

Kaz took a deep breath before slowly nodding. Sonia set the sketchpad down on the bed and stood up. She walked over to her shelf and grabbed a tiny jar of cream, gripping it tightly before turning back towards Kaz.

"Give this to her when she gets here. It'll help her scars fade away."

Kaz looked up at her before reaching out to take the jar.

"Thank you, Sonia… They're… They're actually gonna put her through sentencing before bringing her back here."

"Better to just get it over with," Sonia said as she leaned against the sink. "Poor child doesn't need any more surprises."

"Yeah…"

"What are you expecting?"

"No idea… Our lawyer thinks there's a chance everything that happened to her might actually sway the judge in her favor."

"That's good news at least."

"…Allie's going to be back here, even if it is for a little while, and… I wanted to ask if you could do something for me… for her really."

"What is it?"

"There's people here who knew what was really going on between Allie and Bea… And… And now that she has the chance to start off with a clean slate…"

"I'll make sure no one speaks to her of the matter," Sonia interrupted, raising her hand in Kaz's direction.

Kaz turned to look up at Sonia.

"Thank you."

"We want Allie to be safe and happy, right? Since Bea isn't here to do it anymore, I'm counting on you to keep her safe this time, Karen."

Kaz quickly nodded her head as she stood up.

"Of course. I'll… I'll protect her with my life."

"I'll hold you to it."

Kaz softly smiled as she walked out of the cell. Sonia turned towards her bed again and looked at the sketchpad. She walked out of her cell and into Bea's. She looked around the empty cell before she walked towards Bea's window and pulled open the curtains, allowing light to fill the dark space. Sonia walked back out, closing the door behind her.

…

"ORDER!"

The judge brought her gavel down on her bench five times to attempt to silence the courtroom, which had become disruptive immediately after her introduction of the sentencing. Originally having a legal team of three on her side, Ferguson now turned to look at her one remaining attorney. He stared at her with his arms crossed. He then looked down at his watch, seemingly angry and annoyed more than anything. He turned back towards his open briefcase and began shuffling through some papers before letting them all drop and leaning back in his chair.

"With respect to count one…" the judge began to speak again.

Ferguson closed her eyes as the people behind her began to whisper. Her attention began to drift in and out as she switched her focus from the camera shutters to her attorney tapping his pen on the table.

"…Life without the possibility of parole…"

The crowd inside the courtroom became rambunctious again, leading the judge to bring her gavel down on the bench three times to silence them before she continued. The shuttering of the cameras sped up as the judge continued reading the remaining charges and penalties, each word becoming less and less important to Ferguson.

"…Twenty years for the kidnapping of…"

Ferguson breathed deeply as she heard a woman behind her mutter her approval under her breath.

"…Inciting a riot resulting in serious bodily injury…"

Ferguson ran her hands over her face, making eye contact with Detective Deacon for a brief moment.

"…In addition to twelve years for the organized escape from…"

Ferguson turned to look at the ceiling, still keeping her eyes closed.

"…Having had prior knowledge of critical security systems in place…"

Ferguson clenched her fists.

"…To be transferred to Ashcroft Correctional Centre."

Ferguson finally opened her eyes again to look at the judge as the cameras continued taking pictures, as the audience began to applaud, and as her attorney closed his briefcase.

Ferguson was escorted out of the courthouse, guards surrounding her to keep away the crowds that had gathered outside. She ignored the yelling, chanting, and berating, as she made her way down the steps towards the transport van. As she waited for the guard to open the doors of the van, Ferguson saw Franky standing on the other side of the street, watching her. Franky raised her hand to wave at her, a wave that ultimately turned into her throwing up her middle finger in Ferguson's direction. Ferguson turned back towards the van and climbed inside the vehicle, sitting against the wall as a guard joined her inside. She took a deep breath before turning to look up at the ceiling, as the van began to drive away from the courthouse.

…

Carrying a cup of coffee, Franky looked down at her phone as she made her way down the hall of the hospital. She was reading through an article detailing Ferguson's trial, only looking up to press the button to call the elevator. When the doors opened, she stepped inside, again only looking up to press the button for the sixth floor.

"Franky?"

Franky looked up from her phone to see Dr. Shaw standing next to her.

"Hey, Dr. Shaw," Franky said, putting her phone away.

"Thought that was you. I'd recognize those tattoos anywhere! What are you doing back here?"

"Oh you know, visiting my friend."

"Wait… Did they not tell you? Allie was discharged a few weeks ago."

"…Oh… No, they… No one told me anything."

"…I'm…I'm so sorry to hear that. I thought…"

"No, no it's okay…" Franky chuckled. "How was she? Last I heard she suffered memory loss."

"Yeah, she, uh… She was fine, in spite of the shock of being told that she would be leaving the hospital to go to prison. It definitely helped having her friend there to talk her through it all."

"That's good to hear at least.

The elevator stopped on the fifth floor.

"It was great seeing you. And again, I'm really sorry no one…"

"It's okay. Good seeing you too, Dr. Shaw."

Dr. Shaw stepped out of the elevator, smiling and waving back at Franky as she walked away. Franky waved back as the elevator doors closed. Franky took a deep breath and leaned back against the wall. Once the doors opened to the sixth floor, Franky stepped out and made her way down the halls. She stopped outside of a room where Miles sat in a chair, flipping through a magazine. She looked up at Franky.

"Ugh, bless your heart," Miles said.

Miles stood up and set the magazine on the chair before taking the coffee cup from Franky.

"Everything okay?" Franky asked.

"I think so," Miles replied before taking a drink from the cup.

"What do you mean you think?"

Miles breathed deeply as she lowered the cup from her mouth.

"Governor, a couple of board members, and some assholes I didn't recognize came to see her today."

"…What?"

"Yeah. Talked to the doctor for like… two minutes."

"That… No… No…"

"I'm really sorry, Franky."

"Why does no one fucking tell me anything?!" Franky yelled.

"Franky, come on…"

"No! No, you know this is wrong!"

"Franky, there's nothing the doctors can do anymore. It's been long enough."

"That's fucking bullshit!"

Franky walked past Miles and threw open the door to the room, slamming it behind her. She threw her messenger bag on the floor as she ran her hands through her hair, resting them on the back of her head, the beeps and the noises of all the equipment in the room calming her down. Franky walked over to the bed, her eyes looking from all the tubes to all the machines that kept Bea breathing, kept her heart beating.

"Red… Red, wake up," Franky whispered.

Franky massaged her face as she stared at Bea.

"I'm sorry, but you have to stop messing around now and wake the fuck up already… Aren't you tired of sleeping?"

Franky took a deep breath.

"Red, the Freak's gone… You don't… You don't have to be afraid anymore."

Franky sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her hand.

"…They want to pull the plug on you," Franky whispered, tears welling in her eyes. "Red, you can't… You can't let them do that. It's not fair, and you know that."

She placed her hand on Bea's left arm, covered by a cast that Franky had written and drawn all over. Franky shook Bea's arm.

"…Please wake up," Franky begged, her voice cracking.

Franky ran her hand down Bea's arm, stopping to twiddle her fingers that poked out at the end of it. She felt Bea's fingertips, looking down at them for a second before she let go of her hand and walked over to her bag. Franky picked it up and reached inside, pulling out a pair of nail clippers before tossing it to the floor again. She walked back to Bea and took her hand again, beginning to clip her nails as she spoke.

"…You know how people say that something sounds like nails on a chalkboard? The other day, I went to pick up my sister from school, and I walked into her little classroom, everything's so fucking tiny, and, and the teachers, get this, they do all their writing on fucking smartboards or some shit. And the kids know how to use them too, some even better than the teachers. They can't remember their phone numbers, but these little assholes are going around graphing and coding and shit… They call them smartboards now because our chalkboards were just dumb boards apparently… And then I got to thinking, do you ever realize how so many things that make sense to us old fuckers because we grew up with them won't make sense to these little fuckers anymore? Like, how we say 'hang up' the phone. I mean, what are we hanging up anymore, all we do is push a button… Or, or how 'you sound like a broken record' won't mean shit to anyone anymore unless you're an annoyingly redundant hipster? Or even something like 'nails on a chalkboard' like… What can they say now? Sorry, I have to push the phone now. You sound like a playlist on repeat. Your singing sounds like… See, I don't even know that one!"

Franky listened to the heart monitor, the only thing in the room that had given her some kind of response, some kind of hope for the past few weeks, as she walked around the bed to take Bea's right hand and began clipping her nails.

"Red, this is some fucking riveting conversation, so I'm gonna need you to wake up and help me figure out what we can say instead of 'nails on a chalkboard' because kids aren't gonna know that pain anymore…"

Franky finished clipping Bea's nails then turned her head to look up at her. She held Bea's hand with her left hand as she raised her right hand to stroke her hair.

"You know… You need to wake up soon to dye your hair because I am _not_ about to start calling you Brown."

Franky let go of Bea's hair and stared at her for a few seconds. She kneeled down next to her, laying her arm on the bed, resting her chin on top of it, and looking up at Bea, gripping her hand as she began to cry.


	21. Chapter 21: Letters From The Sky

"Allie!"

Allie turned towards Kaz, just in time to catch the basketball before it hit her in the face. She looked away again, still holding the ball. Kaz and the rest of the H3 crew turned to see what had gotten her attention. Allie dropped the ball and walked over to the crowd of women gathering at a table near the entrance to H-block. The rest of her crew followed her.

Boomer stood next to the table, while Liz and Doreen sat on one side of it. Maxine took Sonia's hand and helped her climb to stand up on the table. Sonia brought her hands together and addressed the crowd.

"Now, I am sure you are all anxious to hear the fate of your precious former governor," Sonia began.

The women jeered at the mention of Ferguson. Sonia smiled as she raised her hands to quiet everyone down.

"That's what I thought… Given that we have yet to have our television and radio privileges reinstated…"

The crowd booed in the direction of the officers on duty, all the women clearly annoyed with still not being able to use their televisions or radios. Sonia raised her hand to quiet them all down again.

"…I get to be the one to deliver news of the outside world to you and… You will all be happy to know that Joan Ferguson has been sentenced to life without parole!"

The women all broke out in excitement and cheered with the news. The officers on duty looked at each other, many grinning as well. Sonia smiled as she looked down at Maxine. When she looked back up at the crowd, she made eye contact with Allie, who had no reaction to the news whatsoever despite her crew celebrating right next to her. Sonia's smile disappeared upon seeing her. She cleared her throat and looked around at the women again.

"And… The best part of it all… She will be out of your lives for good as she has been transferred to Ashcroft Correctional Centre!"

The inmates cheered, clapped, and celebrated even louder. Kaz hugged her entire crew before taking Allie's face in her hands and hugging her as well. Sonia watched them for a few seconds before reaching her hand out to Maxine again, who took it and helped her down from the table. Sonia walked through the gate back to H1, Maxine and Boomer following her, leaving behind the crowd who continued to celebrate.

…

Franky threw the door open to the governor's office. She walked inside to see it was empty before turning back outside to speak to the secretary.

"Why do people schedule appointments if they won't show up on time?" Franky asked.

"The governor will be in soon," the secretary responded. "Go in and have a seat."

Franky took a deep breath before walking inside and sitting down in the chair in front of the desk, throwing her bag to the floor. Her leg bounced up and down quickly as she grew impatient with each passing minute. When she heard the door close, Franky didn't move and didn't look up until Vera sat down in the chair in front of her. She stared at her as she looked back at her, neither willing to speak first. As Vera opened her mouth to speak, Franky interrupted her.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Franky asked.

"The board was concerned you would put up a fight…"

"Of course I'm gonna put up a fight! I've kept her alive this long. I'll take you people on for as long as I have to."

"Franky, she's an inmate. There's nothing more I can do."

"Set me up for another board meeting then."

"I can't."

"Yes you can! You're just being…"

"It wasn't up to the board. A higher court decided this."

Franky's breathing was heavy as she stared at Vera.

"What happened to her was this prison's fault. It's not fair that you people get to decide when to end her life."

"Franky, she's been on life support for nearly two months now."

"…She's still alive…"

Franky leaned forward and gripped her hair, heavily breathing. Vera watched her, unable to say anything to her.

"You wouldn't… You wouldn't do this if she weren't a prisoner. You'd keep her ventilator on, you'd keep her feeding tube in if…"

"She's a prisoner, Franky, with no next of kin…"

Franky stood up and slammed her hands down on the desk.

"I'M HER FUCKING NEXT OF KIN!"

Vera looked up at Franky for a few seconds before slowly shaking her head and looking back down towards the desk.

"You're not… I'm sorry, Franky."

Franky stared at her, shaking her head before massaging her face.

"…When?" Franky quietly asked.

"…Tomorrow. Nine in the morning."

"…Please let me be there."

Vera turned to look up at her. All she could do was slowly nod. Franky leaned over to pick up her bag before storming out of the office. Vera placed her elbows on the desk and massaged her face before turning to face the ceiling.

…

Allie leaned against the wall, waiting for the phone queue to shorten. Sonia and Maxine walked by her, and as Sonia made her way to the front of the queue, she turned towards Maxine.

"Bring her up," Sonia ordered.

Maxine walked towards the back of the queue and motioned for Allie to follow her. Allie followed Maxine to the front of the line, where Sonia gestured for Allie to cut in front of her. Allie softly smiled and stood in front of her.

"Thanks, Sonia."

"Of course… Important call?" Sonia asked.

"Just a friend from my days at the shelter," Allie responded, leaning back against the wall.

"Oh, how nice. Do you have a lot of contact with the outside world?"

Allie pursed her lips, shook her head, and shrugged.

"Not much. Most of the people I was close to are in here with me… I just like reminding myself that there's life outside of this place, you know?"

"Oh I absolutely agree. Seven years in this place, it's important to do your best to maintain your relationships with those on the outside… How has your reentry…"

Before Sonia could finish her question, Jake grabbed her attention.

"Ms. Stevens, you're wanted in the governor's office."

Sonia nodded and looked back towards Allie who looked from her to Jake.

"Stop by my cell for a chat later. I'd love to hear more about how you've been settling back in," Sonia requested as she gently squeezed Allie's wrist.

Allie smiled and nodded, watching her walk away before turning back towards Maxine, who smiled at her and left as well. Allie furrowed her eyebrows, before the woman behind her tapped her on her shoulder, motioning for her to move up. She walked up to the phone and dialed a number, waiting a few seconds for a response.

"Hey, Elliot, it's Allie, how's it going?... Good, thanks, I'm just calling to see if you've heard anything…"

As Allie listened, Kaz turned the corner and waved at her. A beaming smile appearing on her face, Allie waved back to Kaz who approached her.

"I have to go… Thank you so much," Allie softly spoke before hanging up the phone.

"Everything okay?" Kaz asked.

"Everything's perfect," Allie responded, wrapping her arm around Kaz's shoulder as they both walked away.

…

Franky leaned back against the wall of the elevator, watching as the floors changed. She arrived at the sixth floor and took a deep breath before stepping out of the elevator and making her way towards Bea's room. As she turned the corner, Franky stopped in her tracks, confused when she didn't see an officer guarding the door to the room. She looked around before beginning to run down the hall towards Bea's room. Franky threw the door open, her heart sinking when she saw the room was empty.

Franky ran back out to the nurse's station, pushing another visitor out of the way in order to speak to the nurse at the desk.

"What did you do?! I was told it wouldn't happen until nine in the morning!"

"What?"

"Bea Smith! It's barely six o'clock! Why did you kill her earlier?!"

"No one killed Bea Smith…"

"YOU CUT OFF HER LIFE SUPPORT!"

"Miss, I'm sorry you're upset, but you need to keep your voice down."

"Are you… Are you fucking serious?! You killed my friend and you want me to keep my voice down?!"

"You have to, or I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Franky clenched her fists as she looked down at the floor, her eyes beginning to water.

"…Why did you let her go alone? I… I should have been there… She shouldn't have…"

"Franky?"

Franky looked up to see Vera walking towards her. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and approached her.

"You fucking lied to me," Franky softly spoke, unable to look Vera in the eyes. "You said nine in the morning, and it's barely six, and you ignored all my calls so… So you better take me to the morgue because…"

Franky broke down and covered her eyes with her hands. Vera couldn't help but softly smile as she placed her hand on Franky's shoulder and squeezed it.

"Come on. I'll do you one better."

Vera led Franky down the halls as she continued crying. They finally stopped when they made it to a room with a guard standing outside of it. Franky looked from the guard to Vera, who smiled and motioned for her to go inside.

Franky opened the door to the room, carefully shutting it behind her as she made her way towards the bed where Bea lay with her eyes closed, no longer connected to a ventilator or a feeding tube. Franky reached over to open her left eye, an act that made Bea suddenly wake up, grip Franky's wrist, and shoot up in the bed. They looked at each other for a few seconds before Bea slowly loosened her hold on Franky's wrist, not completely letting go but instead pulling her in for a hug as they both smiled and cried.

…

Allie walked into H1, looking around to see the unit was empty. She made her way towards Sonia's cell and peeked inside the open doorway. Seeing it was also empty, she was about to leave when she noticed something sticking out from under her pillow. Allie looked back around the unit before heading into the cell, lifting the pillow to reveal Bea's sketchpad. She set the pillow down and picked up the sketchpad, smiling as she flipped through the different drawings. She stopped on a loose leaf of paper in the middle of it, taking it out and beginning to read it.

 _All my life my voice has been silenced. Nothing I said ever mattered because there was always someone, something louder than I was that drowned me out. I became used to it. When I was hit, when I was pushed, when I was abused, all I could do was lie there and take it because the only ones who ever heard me screaming were the same ones making me scream. They found pleasure in my pain. They found a high in my low. They found their happiness in my suffering. I was scared. I was always scared. I was terrified of being alone, aware that someone watched me. That fear was constant, appearing even in my nightmares to terrify me._

 _The fear I lived with day to day was embodied in Joan Ferguson. She has circled me like a vulture for what feels like an eternity, taking every opportunity she could to intimidate me, to attack me, to torment me. I felt like giving up, just giving in to her and letting her have her way with me. It seemed as if that was my only purpose in life, to let others use and abuse me until they had had enough or until I could take no more and drifted into unconsciousness, hoping that I could have some instance of peace before I had to wake up to another battle._

 _Now I'm scared more than ever. Somehow I found Allie Novak, or better yet, she found me. I finally had someone willing to listen to me, willing to hold me, willing to watch over me so I wouldn't have to scream anymore, only to have her taken away from me by Joan Ferguson, the woman who has been hell-bent on destroying me and those around me as though her life depended on it. She knows where Allie is. She showed me photos of a lifeless Allie on her phone. She wanted to get to me through Allie. Ferguson offered me a trade. She claimed that Allie could come back if I dropped the charges against her – Allie's life for my silence._

 _This would have been such a simple deal to make. All I had to do was remain silent for a little longer, and I could get my little ray of light back. But I knew, I know that Allie wasn't alive in those photos. Ferguson had taken her away from me before she even took the pictures. I told her no. I told her I wouldn't make the deal. I could have made it. I could have told someone about the photos, about the phone, but when has anyone ever listened to me? I've tried to warn others about Ferguson. And I'm not the only one who did so. Governor Vera Bennett tried her best to keep Ferguson away from Wentworth, having more knowledge of and experience with Ferguson's deceitful and dangerous tactics than anyone. But no one ever listened. Ferguson was allowed to spend her time as an inmate at Wentworth terrorizing me and breaking me down physically and mentally. She has gone too far and has been allowed to get away with too much. All I can do now is wait. Wait and hope to appear in court and finally help put Ferguson away._

 _But I'm scared. I'm scared because deep down, I know I won't make it to the trial. Ferguson won't allow that to happen. She had Allie kidnapped and even managed to have the Red Right Hand framed for it, thus getting one last hit in against Karen Proctor, the woman who initially wanted to help her before realizing Ferguson had been manipulating her just like every other person in her life. Ferguson has been able to get away with everything. I truly believe this is the one time she's ever been concerned and uncertain about her future. And that scares me even more because she knows that for once in her life, her future isn't in her control. She has no power, but rest assured, she will do whatever it takes to regain it, and unfortunately, I'm the person she needs to take it back from._

 _Joan Ferguson's only passion, reason, motive for anything she has ever done or ever does is power, control, domination. She will stop at nothing to have it, will stop at nothing to keep it, and will stop at nothing to take it back and eliminate those who ever dared to try to take it from her in the first place. She has tortured, tormented, and terrorized endlessly and mercilessly, with no one to fight back against her because at the end of the day, we're all scared. We're all scared of the power she wields over all of us. Should Joan Ferguson ever regain control and walk free again, you have every right to be scared because if you ever crossed her, you know she will crucify you._

 _That's why I have to write this. I'm the last obstacle she needs to overcome, and after everything that she's done to me, after all the times she's tried to erase my existence, both on her own and with the aid of Nils Jesper, I can say with certainty that she will have no problem crushing me once and for all before she walks free. No one ever heard me before. No one ever heeded my warnings. No one ever cared enough to realize the dangerous situation that was created by allowing Joan Ferguson to become an inmate at Wentworth, the prison she previously controlled with absolute and unchecked power. I tried. I tried so much to unmask her to no avail. She has bribed. She has blackmailed. She has threatened. She has tortured. She has done whatever she wanted in order to quell any challengers to her authority. And I'm tired. I'm so tired. I'm tired of the manipulation. I'm tired of the deceit. I'm tired of the pain. I'm tired of the suffering. I'm tired of the silence._

 _I only hope that someone can finally hear me._

Allie stared at the page for a few seconds, running her fingers over Bea's signature. She placed it back inside the sketchbook and closed it, staring blankly ahead for a few seconds. She picked the sketchbook up and walked out of Sonia's cell, making her way back to H3.

…

"You're a fucking maniac."

Bea couldn't help but nod as she finished telling Franky everything that had happened prior to her coma, from getting the phone to planning the riot to dealing with everyone in the warehouse. A look of disbelief on her face, Franky could only shake her head.

"How… How did you know it would all work out?" Franky asked.

"I didn't… But I knew I had to take a risk. When I found Allie, when I saw her, all bloody and beaten and barely felt her pulse, I just… Franky, I was so angry. I wanted Ferguson to pay for what she did. I wasn't going to let her get away with that. I knew I just had to endure it for a little while, just until the police came but… I just needed to drug myself enough to pass out and be done framing her. Believe me, I didn't expect her to get so many hits in. I definitely didn't expect the bashed head, broken arm and ribs… I actually thought the gunshot would be the hardest thing to deal with, but then she goes and buries her fingers in me and…"

Bea shuddered at the thought of Ferguson, something Franky noticed, as she went to place her hand on Bea's arm.

"Hey… Hey, it's okay. She's gone now."

Bea placed her hand over Franky's and quickly nodded.

"Thank you for sticking by me through all this, Franky," Bea softly spoke.

"Thank you for putting the fucking Freak away for good," Franky laughed, as she covered Bea's hand with her other one. "I'm… I'm sorry about Allie though."

Bea took a deep breath and shrugged.

"You know how I thought I could hear you? I thought I could hear her too… But as long as she's okay… That's all I really care about."

"…How did you know she was alive before even breaking out?"

"…I didn't… I just felt she'd wait for me."

"…Maybe she'll remember everything once she sees and talks to you again."

"…Yeah… Maybe…"

Franky observed Bea for a few seconds before letting go of her hand and reaching into her pocket. She pulled out the tiny bag with Allie's ring and candle and handed it to Bea. Hesitating a little at first, Bea reached out and took the bag, a sad smile appearing on her face. The door to the room opened and Vera walked inside, stepping over to the other side of Bea's bed.

"All caught up now, I'm guessing?" Vera asked, smiling.

"Red's been out for a while. Gotta give her the rundown so she knows what to expect when she goes back," Franky responded.

"I'm sure you've done a great job. In any case, I'm glad to see you're awake again, Bea, and I hope to see you walking again, fully recuperated soon. Will's coming by later today to check up on you as well…"

There was a knock on the door. Bea's doctor entered and asked for Vera. She gave a small wave and exited the room. Franky turned back towards Bea.

"Oh shit, they all still think you can't walk," Franky said.

"Yeah… It was kind of important everyone thought that so Ferguson could take the fall with zero doubt so… I have to keep up the wheelchair act a little longer. Don't want people getting suspicious of me walking so soon after her sentencing."

"Fucking mastermind you turned out to be. You'd think I would've been used to this side of you but for fuck's sake, Red, you just keep on wowing me. Can't wait to see what kind of twisted plan you come up with next."

"This is it, Franky. I'm gonna go back to Wentworth and just live out the rest of my days in peace… I'm tired. I'm so tired. I just… I just want to rest."

Bea laid back down in the bed, covering her face with her hands.

"Well, I didn't sleep all night thinking you were gonna die today, so move the fuck over because I'm tired too."

Franky stood up from her chair and laid down on her side next to Bea, both women closing their eyes at the same time.

Outside the room, the guard on duty waved goodbye to the governor as he saw Jake approaching with two cups of coffee. He stood a distance away, waiting for Vera to finish speaking with the doctor. When she was done she sighed and nodded. The doctor left and Jake walked up towards Vera, handing her a cup of coffee.

"Everything okay?" he asked giving her a kiss on the cheek.

Vera nodded and smiled, stepping over to the door and looking in through the window.

"Smith is in good condition. We'll be getting her back to Wentworth soon."

"And…that's a good thing, right?" Jake asked, unable to read Vera's expression.

"You know… I'm not sure. Yes, Ferguson is gone and won't be able to torment Smith anymore but…"

"But what?"

"But what is Smith going back to? Here on the outside she at least has Franky… With everything that happened to Novak… what's she got left at Wentworth?"

"…I'll keep a close eye on her," Jake stated. "I can't imagine how difficult the transition back to Wentworth will be for her after this long. And as for Novak… I'll keep a close eye on her as well."

"Thank you, Jake… I have to get back, but I'm glad you're here to look after her."

Vera gave Jake a small kiss before walking off. Jake looked in the window of the door, a wave of sadness overcoming him as he saw Franky hug Bea on the bed.

…

Allie mopped the floor of the mess hall as the rest of her unit wiped down the tables and cleared the garbage. When her crew was done, they walked out of the mess hall and headed for the exercise yard, leaving her to finish mopping. As she mopped the floors of the kitchen, she looked up to see Jake walk inside, avoiding the camera and walking past her into the equipment room. Allie rested the mop against the counter and headed into the equipment room, shutting the door behind her and leaning against it. She watched as Jake reached into the back of his pants and pulled out a bottle of rum before handing it to her.

"Wow, you sure splurged," Allie commented, looking over the label.

"Only the best for my favorite inmate."

"I bet you say that to all the women you smuggle shit in for."

Jake laughed before he reached into his pocket and pulled out a cellphone, also handing it to her.

"Thanks."

"Have you been okay?" he asked.

"Couldn't be better. It'll be a fun game."

"What's H1 throwing into the prize pool?"

"Not sure," Allie replied as she looked at the phone.

Feeling his eyes on her, Allie put the phone in her pocket and looked up at Jake, smirking and raising an eyebrow.

"What?" she asked.

"…They're bringing Smith back Friday."

Allie looked down at the bottle of rum.

"Well… that'll call for a celebration… maybe H1 needs this more than we do," Allie replied, lifting the bottle of rum.

"Aw, come on, Novak, you're not gonna throw the game, are you?"

Allie shrugged and stuffed the bottle of rum into the back of her pants, tying her hoodie around her waist.

"I'm just saying, I wouldn't bet on H3, Jakey," Allie winked before walking out of the equipment room.

…

Bea sat back in her wheelchair, watching the basketball game between H1 and H3. Both teams were enjoying the friendly competition, and she was enjoying watching the women getting along after everything that had happened between both crews. Both teams were set on winning, as the prize was rumored to include a bottle of rum, a box of chocolates, a prepaid phone, and a hefty sum of money. In spite of never taking her eyes off the court, Bea had no idea who was actually winning the game as she focused on Allie more than anything else.

"Bea?"

Bea turned her head to see Sonia standing next to her. She looked over at the court and smiled.

"Enjoying the view?" Sonia asked as she went to sit down on the bench next to Bea.

"…How can she be so happy?" Bea quietly asked, turning back to look at Allie. "She's gonna be locked up for seven years and can't even remember why she's here at all."

"She has a lot of light inside her, that one… She remembers most of her troubled past, so it's understandable that she'd find comfort in having a stable situation, even if it is in prison… I mean you certainly did."

"…I thought the statements made by Kaz and the governor were supposed to reduce her time here."

"Oh, they did. Apparently, she was supposed to be in here for ten years. It's something."

Bea turned to look at Sonia and simply nodded.

"I'm sorry I made her believe that you had been transferred to another prison. I just… You know, I was the one who found her in the kitchen after she... after she thought she had lost you and… I was simply worried about her. I thought it would've been better for her to just not know what happened for the time being, especially since I didn't think you would come back… But I believe I may have made a mistake keeping your relationship from her."

Bea looked up at Allie, watching her get body checked by Boomer. She stumbled but remained standing.

"It's okay. I appreciate you wanting to protect her. I mean look at her. She's happy and I… I don't want to spoil that by confusing the shit out of her… She almost died because of me."

"…You saved her life… That's not why you're refusing to tell her the truth."

Bea watched Kaz high five Allie after scoring a free throw. Allie looked over at Bea for a split second before turning her attention back to the game.

"No matter what, she doesn't feel the same way about me anymore," Bea sadly admitted.

"…For now anyways but… I'm sure you'll find your way back to each other somehow."

Bea looked back at Sonia and smiled. She noticed Sonia was holding a folded piece of paper.

"What's that?" Bea asked.

Sonia looked down at the paper then back up at Bea.

"I've been cleared of Helen's death."

"What?"

"…I'm getting out."

"Sonia, that… That's wonderful! Congratulations!"

Bea smiled but held back her tears as she watched Sonia look back down at the paper.

"Elizabeth was working with the police to try to get a confession out of me."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't say anything to her. I just… I feel… bad. I feel bad it didn't work out for her… How ridiculous is that?" Sonia asked, leaning back against the wall.

"…I don't think it's ridiculous… It shows you have a conscience."

"…What do you mean?"

"Part of you feels guilty about getting to leave since you actually did kill Helen."

Sonia's eyes shot up to look at Bea, who smiled at the look of confusion on Sonia's face.

"…How… How did you…" Sonia stammered.

"Do you remember the first time you ever spoke to me?" Bea began. "You asked me if I ever thought of how others would see me after I killed the Holts, if I thought others would be able to separate the murderer from the person I was before… We had never spoken and the first thing you wanted to talk about with me… was how you change in the eyes of others before and after you've murdered someone…"

Sonia stared at Bea, tears in her eyes.

"…I don't know about you but… that's not a typical icebreaker for me."

Sonia couldn't help but softly laugh as she looked back down at the paper, shaking her head in disbelief.

"…I… I was looking for a little glimmer of hope… Hope that in case I did end up staying here… Maybe I wouldn't lose… I wouldn't lose the people I cared about… You gave me hope, hope that even if I did have to spend years here for what I did that I would maybe be able to find the strength to get through it, just like you've been able to."

Bea smiled as she took Sonia's hand in hers.

"I can't speak for the people outside, but I want you to know that I'll certainly be here for you no matter what."

"…Why?"

"Why what?"

"…Why? I murdered someone and… I'm getting out. Meanwhile you're in here for… You should hate me."

"What you did in your past has no effect on me… All I know is that you've been here for me from the very beginning. You were able to separate the murderer from the person. You saw me as me, not as my acts… Why wouldn't I be able to do that for someone who helped keep me alive?"

Unable to hold back her tears, Sonia began to cry as she threw herself on Bea. Bea hugged her back as strongly as she could, squeezing her eyes shut tight from the pain she felt up and down her torso. After a few seconds, Sonia pulled away from Bea and wiped her nose with the back of her hand before looking back at the paper and handing it to Bea.

"I've filled out your visitor's request form," Sonia said as she handed it to Bea. "All you have to do is sign it."

Bea took the paper and smiled, nodding her head.

"Looking forward to your visits," Bea said.

Sonia smiled and stood up from the bench, ruffling Bea's hair before walking away. Bea unfolded the paper and couldn't help but smile when she saw Sonia had listed herself as family. As she was looking down at the paper, a basketball rolled towards her and stopped when it hit her wheelchair. She looked up to see Allie running over to retrieve it.

"Sorry," Allie said, out of breath, as she bent over to pick up the ball.

Bea stared at her for a bit, her nerves getting the best of her as she remembered the last time Allie was this close to her. She quickly nodded her head and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"…You all right?" Allie asked.

Bea stared down at the paper, keeping her eyes wide open to keep from shedding any more tears. She quickly nodded. Allie looked around for a second to see some people were staring at them before looking back down at her.

"I'm Allie Novak," she said, holding her hand out.

Bea looked at Allie's hand then up at her.

"…I'm Bea Smith," she replied, taking her hand.

"…You're shaking."

"…It's cold."

Bea quickly pulled her shaking hand away. Confused but amused, Allie looked up at the sky towards the beaming sun then back down at her.

"Allie!"

Allie turned back towards the court to see both crews looking at her, motioning for her to go back so they could continue the game. She threw the ball in their direction before turning back to Bea. Allie took off the hoodie she had tied around her waist, leaned over, and draped it around Bea. As their eyes met, Allie smiled, rubbing Bea's shoulders before turning around and running back to the court. Bea watched her run away. A lump forming in her throat, her mind in a daze, her heart racing, Bea put the form in her pocket, turned her wheelchair to the side, and headed for the safety of her cell in H1, unable to hold back her tears as she made her way back.

…

"Head count, ladies!" Jake called out as he stepped into H3.

The women all stood by their doors as Jake marked them off on his roster. He nodded in their direction before turning to walk out of the unit. Allie caught up to him as he closed the gate.

"I need to go to H1 tonight," she whispered.

Jake turned to look down the hall in both directions. He then turned back towards Allie and nodded. Allie turned around and walked into her cell, shutting the door behind her.

…

"Bea…"

Bea stirred in her sleep as she felt a hand stroking her right arm.

"Bea…"

Bea slowly opened her eyes, bringing her hands up to rub them. Lying on her side facing the wall, she turned her head to see Allie sitting on her bed next to her. Thinking she was dreaming, Bea scoffed and turned back to face the wall and closed her eyes again.

"Wow, you are not a night person, are you? Imagine if I hadn't have been as welcoming when you came to visit me in the middle of the night," Allie chuckled.

Bea squeezed her eyes shut tight, telling herself she was just dreaming to keep herself from crying.

"It's cold," Allie said as she looked down at Bea.

Bea clenched her fists, trying to get Allie out of her mind. Unable to ignore her even in her dreams, Bea reached behind her and lifted the blanket, inviting Allie. Allie smiled and kicked off her slippers, lying down next to Bea and wrapping her arm around her, pulling her in close.

"These fucking dreams are getting too realistic for me," Bea muttered.

Allie laughed before she buried her face in Bea's hair, deeply inhaling and running her hand under Bea's shirt, beginning to trace circles on her abdomen.

"I missed you…" Allie whispered before taking her earlobe between her lips.

When Bea turned her head to face Allie, the younger woman brought her lips to hers, softly kissing her.

"I missed you… so much…" Allie whispered.

Allie gently pushed Bea to lie on her back, as she placed her right hand next to Bea to push herself up and hover over her as she continued kissing her.

"What… What are you… doing…" Bea asked between kisses.

"What…do you… think…" Allie responded, her right hand disappearing under Bea's shirt.

As much as she wanted to keep kissing her, Bea broke away from Allie and sat up in the bed, turning to face her. Allie smiled before sitting up and leaning back against the wall. She looked down at her hands as she spoke.

"…They were gonna put me in the psych unit because of what they think I did," Allie softly spoke.

"…What?"

"Slashing my wrists. Attempted suicide lands you in the psych unit and there was no way they'd believe that Ferguson was the one who did it. That's where I was headed after I was let out of the hospital… I was trying to think of how to get out of it and… If I had ended up there, I don't know when… if… I would've been able to ever see you again… And then those fuckers kidnapped me and almost killed me by bashing my head in and when I wake up I see Stewart is still working and I freaked out but… But I saw a chance to end all my problems… I couldn't lose you again… So I pretended to not know anything or anyone."

Allie looked up at Bea, who was visibly confused but waited for her to finish.

"I thought maybe they wouldn't be cruel enough to stick a person in the psych unit who had two near-death experiences and couldn't even remember being in prison at all… And I was right. The only person who knew I was faking was this detective…"

"Deacon?" Bea interrupted.

"You know Elliot?"

"He… When you went missing he interrogated me about it. Thought maybe it was a planned escape and I had something to do with it."

"If only…" Allie softly laughed. "He told me as much as he could about why I ended up in the hospital, not giving a shit about my doctor's orders to avoid throwing too much shocking info at me all at once. He mentioned that I had arrived with another inmate, a redhead with a broken arm, broken ribs, and a bullet wound that became infected… So I told him about the two guys who had kidnapped me, both who had been caught at or near the same place where I was being held… I had no choice but to trust Deacon so that he could keep updating me about what was going on with you, and I'll forever be grateful for him understanding. It made dealing with this place without you easier, knowing you were still breathing… You have no idea what I felt when he told me you had woken up."

Allie looked back down at her hands, twiddling her fingers.

"…I need you… And I know… I know that before you wanted to keep me away because you thought I was in danger by being near you, but after everything that's happened… seems like I'm more of a hazard to your well-being, don't you think?"

Allie forced a laugh as tears welled in her eyes. Bea stared at her for a few seconds before moving next to her on the bed, lifting her chin, and leaning in to kiss her.

"I need you too…" Bea whispered against Allie's lips.

Bea broke away from Allie and kissed her on the top of her head before wrapping her arms around her. Allie hugged her back, not as tightly as she was afraid of hurting her, before placing a small kiss on her neck and beginning to cry into her shoulder.

After a little while, Bea and Allie resumed speaking, this time with Allie listening as Bea let her know everything that had happened since she had gone missing. Eventually succumbing to exhaustion, they both laid down on the bed, holding each other and closing their eyes. Allie was about to fall asleep before she realized how much time had actually passed and sat up in the bed, looking back down at Bea.

"I have to go," Allie whispered.

Bea sat up in her bed and looked around the room before turning towards Allie again.

"Wait… How did you even manage to get here?" Bea asked.

"Don't get mad, but… I kind of ended up befriending Jake."

"…You're kidding me… Allie, he was…"

"I know. I know half of the shit that happened to us wouldn't have had it not been for him but … Bea, when I came back to Wentworth he was the only person who didn't tell me you had been transferred to another prison. He said you were in the hospital, and when I asked him why he felt the need to tell me, he was honest with me. He spoke to me about our relationship, thinking it would jog my memory. So I told him that I was faking memory loss. He apologized for everything he had done and promised to look out for me so…"

"Allie, I don't think you should trust him."

"He's not a bad person, really. He just… I mean, was there anyone Ferguson didn't play at some point? Jake was the one who told me when you were coming back. He's kept me informed of everything that's been going on with inmates and staff. But yeah, he's still a screw. I haven't and I won't let my guard down around him, but… Hey, if he can keep sneaking me in to see you until you can walk again and I can remember everything again… It's worth it."

Bea softly smiled before she leaned in to tenderly kiss Allie. As Bea tried to pull away, Allie raised her hand and placed it on the back of her neck, holding her close as their kiss became more impassioned.

"Or… We could just act like you made me fall in love with you all over again… That's more believable," Allie whispered as she lowered her hand to massage Bea's breast through her shirt.

"Allie… We're gonna get in trouble," Bea whispered as Allie brought her lips to her neck.

"I don't care… If we're lucky they'll slot us together again."

Bea smiled as Allie pulled her to lie on top of her, both women holding on to each other as they continued kissing, secure that they were finally safe in each other's arms, as they both knew that no one could force them to ever let go.


	22. Chapter 22: Light

A/N: All right, everyone, here it is, the final chapter. I know this story ended up taking a completely different direction from canon, but writing it was fun and it means the world to me that you all took the time to read it. I hope you all enjoyed it, and I appreciate all your comments. If you ever want to talk Wentworth or writing or anything, feel free to hit me up here or my Tumblr is in my bio. I say this is the final chapter, but I'm rewatching season six at the moment, so you never know... Until next time!

...

...

The cries could be heard throughout most of H-block. Some of the women responded, demanding H1 quiet down. Bea and Liz sat in the common area of H1, trying but failing to comfort a sobbing Boomer.

"It's gonna be okay, Booms," Bea said with tears in her eyes.

"No it's not!" Boomer screamed. "Franky left me, Sonia left me, Dors left me, and now Maxi…"

Boomer continued to cry as Maxine stepped out of her cell, carrying her personal belongings in a clear plastic bag. Bea, Liz, and Boomer all stood up, but Boomer pushed Liz out of the way back onto the sofa and rushed towards Maxine to hug her.

"I love you, Maxi," Boomer cried.

Maxine smiled and hugged Boomer with all her strength. She dropped her bag and motioned for Liz and Bea to come over. The women embraced one another, all trying to put on brave faces as they were forced to say goodbye.

"It's only for a few months, girls. Trust me, if I didn't need the treatment…"

"You won't in a couple of months! And, and you'll be back, right?" Boomer nodded, awaiting confirmation.

"That's right, Booms," Maxine cried as she let go. "Until then, you all look out for each other, you hear?"

"And, and if you don't come back, Bea will break us out to come get ya at Barnhurst, right, Bea?"

"Boomer!" Liz cried out.

"That's right, Boomer," Bea smiled. "You can't get rid of us that easily, Maxine."

"I'll come back home before you know it, Bea."

As Maxine hugged Bea, Miles walked into the unit.

"Ready, Conway?" Miles asked.

Maxine quickly nodded, bending over to pick up her bag.

"I love you, girls."

Maxine blew each of them a kiss before turning around and walking out of the unit. Boomer continued sobbing and after grabbing her pack of biscuits, she walked into her cell and shut the door. Bea took a deep breath and sat down at the table. Liz sat down across from her.

"I feel for Boomer. All this change is overwhelming," Liz sighed.

"Yeah but it's for the best, Liz. Maxine gets the proper treatment, Doreen gets to be with her family, and Sonia…"

"Gets to avoid justice and be a psychotic billionaire again."

Bea tapped her fingers on the table. Liz shook her head.

"Sorry."

As Bea was about to respond, Jake walked into the unit.

"Hey, Mr. Stewart," Liz greeted.

"Birdsworth," Jake nodded in her direction. "Smith, Governor wants to see you."

Bea raised her eyebrows as she stood up from the table and walked with Jake out of the unit.

"Wow, must be pretty important for the deputy governor to take the time to come get me," Bea joked as they headed for Vera's office.

"Hey, just because I'm deputy doesn't mean I can't still help out with regular officer duties," Jake smiled.

"Hope the badge is helping keep you out of trouble."

"Please, you should know better than anyone that the better the title, the bigger the problems."

"So should I be concerned that you're taking me to see the governor now?"

"Not until you get a new title."

They both laughed and continued walking towards Vera's office. As they descended a staircase, Jake stopped walking and held his hand up to stop Bea.

"What?" she asked.

"Do you… Do you still think about her?"

Bea took a deep breath and looked around.

"She hasn't been gone long. Her…presence... is still fresh…"

"No, no, I know that it's just… You know her better than anybody."

"Please…"

"I'm serious. You knew how to get under her skin. You had more experience with her than anyone else in this prison."

"Yeah, lucky me. Can we…"

Bea started to walk but Jake stopped her.

"Why…" Jake looked around, barely whispering as he continued to speak. "Why do you think she didn't name me?"

Bea scoffed and shook her head.

"I don't know. I wasn't there for her trial. You got lucky I guess."

"I got out from underneath her by the skin of my teeth, Smith. You know how involved I became with her and yet… Why wouldn't she give me up during her trial?"

"Look, if you expect me to be able to give you a look inside the Freak's mind…"

"I do."

"…All I know is that everything she did, everything she does is for power. That's it. That's all she wants. And while I'm… happy… that she's gone now… I made the mistake of underestimating her in the past. I won't do that again."

"So, you think she's still a threat too, then?

"She's at Ashcroft now but…yeah… And no offense, but if it comes down to you and Ferguson, you don't stand a chance."

"But you do."

"Hardly."

"Don't underestimate yourself either, Smith. Even if you refuse to admit it, both you and I know that the Freak wasn't the mastermind behind the riot…"

"Not this shit again. Listen, Mr. Stewart…"

"No, you listen, I won't say anything, you know that. I still don't know how you did it, but… You managed to put her away. I made the mistake of allying myself with the wrong inmate in the past, and that won't happen again. I just want to make sure that… If the time comes… you've got my back with Ferguson, right?"

Jake extended his hand. Bea looked down at it, hesitating to take it.

"You promise to keep an eye on Allie, no matter what?"

"I swear."

Bea looked him in the eyes then took his hand, realizing that in that moment, he was better off as an ally than as an enemy. They continued walking towards the governor's office. The door was wide open, and Jake motioned for Bea to head inside, shutting the door behind her. Vera sat at her desk, turning from her computer towards her.

"Smith," Vera greeted.

"Governor," Bea greeted back as she took a seat.

"How've you been?"

"I honestly don't think I've ever been better."

"Glad to hear that, especially because I wanted to inform you of some changes that will be taking place."

"What kinds of changes?"

"As you are aware, J-block has been getting rather…difficult to manage."

"I'm not top dog anymore, Governor."

"I know that, Smith, and I respect your decision to not take up the mantle again, but with that vacancy, the women have been giving us all a hard time as they vie for the role. Last week two inmates ended up in the hospital after an incident I can only assume was meant to determine top dog. I can't keep having these fights."

"I can't stop them, Governor."

"I know that, but I wanted to let you know that in an effort to break these alliances, I'll be doing a… redistribution of some of the women in J-block."

"…And you needed me to know this because…?"

"H-block will be getting new blood, and I need to make sure that whoever ends up sharing the unit with you will… know who's in charge."

"You're not putting the most problematic women with me, are you, Governor?"

"No, no, not the most, just some of our more… vocal inmates."

"Ah… Much better," Bea sighed.

"I wouldn't assign them to H-block if I didn't think you could handle them."

"Clearly. You could've just given them new cells, Governor. Making a meeting out of it seems a little much, don't you think?"

"I thought you deserved a warning, yes, but there was something else. And please, I want you to truly consider the offer I'm about to make you."

"Offer?"

"Look, it's no secret that the women here respect you. Even at your weakest, they still turned to you to lead them. You did it for so long, it was hard for some of the women to move on from seeing you as their leader."

"They have though."

"Not quite. They still turn to you for support, especially knowing that you can intercede on their behalf… They trust you."

"…What are you getting at, Governor?"

"I'd like for you to become peer worker, Bea."

Bea bit her tongue but she was only able to keep a straight face for a few seconds before she started snickering.

"…Peer wor… A convicted murderer with a life sentence?"

"Yes," Vera smiled.

Bea opened her mouth to speak but was at a loss for words.

"You don't have to make a decision right now, but I figured it'd be good for you as well as for the women. All the women here know you and they definitely respect you. I don't think anyone knows more about how to deal with this place than you do, and I think it'd be good to have you help new inmates make the transition… Could also give the former top dog something to do."

Bea looked up at Vera, shaking her head as she began to smile.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay. If I can still help the women, I'm all for it… I still needed something to do anyways."

"I'm glad you're taking the opportunity, Bea."

Vera stood up from her chair and held her hand out. Still smiling, Bea took it in hers, shaking it before turning to walk out of the office.

…

Allie sat across from Bridget in her office during her weekly check-in. She finished drinking from a glass of water before rolling it between her hands as she looked at it, the glass still half-full.

"I still think about it all, sure," Allie began. "It's hard not to. I came so close to losing my life, so close to losing… You know I didn't have much of a life outside of here. Turning tricks in the hopes of scoring money or gear, thinking that's what I needed to stay alive. I don't know what I would've done if Kaz hadn't found me…"

"And you feel no resentment towards her for her role in getting you here?"

Allie shook her head and smiled.

"Kaz and the girls were my family outside of Wentworth. Honestly, I couldn't imagine surviving long without them on the outside."

"And now?"

"Now…" Allie paused. "All I've done is add to my family."

Allie looked up at the clock before looking back down at the glass in her hands, unable to erase the smile from her face as her eyes went to her ring. She set the glass down on the table next to her and stood up as Bridget stood up as well.

"Give my love to Franky," Allie said as she turned to walk out of the office.

"Allie, hang on a sec…"

Allie turned back around. Bridget walked past her and went to open the door, poking her head outside into the hallway and motioning someone over. Bridget walked out of the office, and a few seconds later, Franky walked inside, shutting the door behind her.

"Hey, Blondie," Franky greeted as she sat down in Bridget's chair.

"What brings you in today? In need of a little midday action with my psych?" Allie asked as she went to sit on the armrest of her chair.

"God yes. Your session interrupted my sexting so I figured why not just have dessert for lunch instead?" Franky grinned.

Allie laughed as Franky reached into her bag and pulled out an item.

"Also, I figured I might as well drop this off," Franky said, reaching her hand out to Allie.

Allie took the item from Franky, a tiny clear bag with a silver band that was identical to hers.

"You are a godsend," Allie said.

"I know right? Seriously if you and Red don't make me your best man when you actually get married, I'll be so fucking pissed."

"Best man at our wedding, godfather to our child, whatever you want," Allie said as she took the ring out of the bag

Franky laughed as she watched Allie examine the ring. She looked out the window for a second before turning back towards Allie.

"Did Red ever tell you why she got you a ring in the first place?" Franky asked.

Allie looked up at Franky, a confused look on her face.

"I thought it was because of my birthday."

"That's a no then… She'd wanted to give you a ring before she even knew it was your birthday. When I went to see her in the hospital, after she had scissors kicked into her back… she was a mess. She wanted to see you, just talk to you and tell you everything was gonna be okay… Then she found out what you ended up doing and she felt guilty."

"She shouldn't have…" Allie interrupted. "Franky, what…"

"I know that Ferguson was the one to do it. I know that, Allie, but for you to even be in that vulnerable a position…" Franky began as she shook her head. "She told me that she'd heard you and Bridget talking back when you were slotted next to each other about why you were able to stay sober. Something about her strength and her being an inspiration to you?"

Allie pressed her lips together and nodded.

"Red took that to heart… When she was in the hospital, she was freaking out over you. She was blaming herself for what happened to you because she wasn't there for you and… She asked me to get a ring she could give to you that wouldn't raise alarms with this place's security so you'd be able to keep and wear it and know that no matter what happened, she'd be there for you, so you'd… so you'd have something that reminded you of her in case… Allie, to be completely honest that woman wasn't as afraid of death as much as she was afraid of something happening to you and…"

Allie watched Franky look down at the floor as she waited for her to finish her statement. Franky smiled before looking back up at her.

"Bea needed something to keep her going and I… I just wanted to thank you for being that source of strength… for her."

Allie softly smiled at Franky before looking back down at the ring.

"She's saved my life in every way imaginable. I love her and I need her, Franky. She was always strong for the both of us, and now it's my turn. You can be sure that I will do whatever it takes to keep her safe, sound, and smiling."

Allie placed the ring in her pocket before standing up. Franky stood up as well and tightly hugged Allie. When she pulled away, Franky wiped her eyes with the back of her hand before ruffling Allie's hair.

"All right, get the hell out of here now, Blondie. Go find your wife because I sure as hell need time alone with mine."

Allie smiled before turning and walking out of the office, waving goodbye down the hall to Bridget before being led back to her unit. Bridget walked back into her office, shutting the door behind her. Franky smiled at her before stepping over and kissing her.

…

Allie walked into the shower block, smiling when she saw Bea in the farthest stall with her back to her. Allie made eye contact with the two women at the sinks, winking and gesturing with her head towards the door. The two women quickly gathered up their belongings and walked out of the showers. Allie made her way towards the last stall, removing her robe and hanging it on the hook before quickly stepping inside and gently pushing Bea against the wall, pressing her body into hers as she placed her hands on the wall on either side of her.

"This getting you wet?" Bea asked, smiling as Allie ran her hands from her shoulders to her lower back.

"What do you think?" Allie responded, grabbing Bea's hand and placing it between her own legs.

Allie moved against her hand, moaning into Bea's ear as Bea started slowly sliding her fingers up and down Allie.

"Allie…" Bea groaned as she shut her eyes. "I was almost done with my shower…"

"Why didn't you say so? I'd be more than happy to help you finish…"

Allie quickly spun Bea around, pushing her back into the wall as she placed her hands on her neck and passionately kissed her. They kissed for a few seconds before Allie moved her lips down Bea's neck, then further down, stopping to massage her breasts before taking one into her mouth. Bea moaned as she gripped Allie's neck, holding her in place as Allie's tongue and lips teased her.

Knowing they didn't have all the time in the world, Allie forced herself away from Bea, only to immediately drop to her knees, push Bea's legs slightly apart, and lick a trail from her opening up to her clit. Nearly losing her balance from the sudden and electrifying contact, Bea grabbed onto the stall wall with one hand as she held onto the back of Allie's head with the other one.

"Allie…"

"I've got you…"

Allie pushed Bea's thigh up to hook her leg over her shoulder, holding onto Bea and helping keep her up as she kissed and licked her all over. When she felt Bea grip her hair, Allie ran her right hand up her torso, as Bea dropped her head forwards, grabbed Allie's hand, and took her fingers into her mouth, licking and sucking them as both women moaned. Instead of letting go of her hand when she felt Allie pull away, Bea gripped her wrist and pulled Allie to stand.

"Are you okay?" Allie asked, swallowing hard and trying to stabilize her breathing as she worried about why Bea had stopped her.

Bea looked into Allie's eyes for a few seconds as the water hit her. She placed her right hand on Allie's cheek, stroking her with her thumb before bringing her own fingers to Allie's mouth, brushing them over her soft lips. Allie smiled before beginning to kiss Bea's fingers, running her tongue up and down them, before finally taking them into her mouth as she held Bea's gaze. Bea smiled before pulling her fingers out and pulling Allie in for a deep kiss.

They ran their hands down each other's bodies, pausing to tease one another for a few seconds, before sliding their fingers into and eliciting gasps from one another. Bea wrapped her left arm around Allie, resting her head on Allie's shoulder and holding onto her as her legs threatened to give out. Allie pressed their bodies flush together and pushed Bea up against the wall to keep from falling as their fingers pushed in and out of each other, their hips thrust against one another, and their moans echoed each other, keeping a steady rhythm as they both picked up the pace.

"I love you…"

Allie traced Bea's ear with her tongue before bringing her lips down to Bea's neck, gently sucking but still managing to leave a small bruise. Bea turned to face Allie.

"I love you, too."

Bea kissed Allie, the passion of their kiss sending them over the edge as they both stopped breathing and fought to keep their eyes open and on one another, both women shaking and riding out their high together. No longer able to remain standing, they slowly sank to the floor, never letting go as the water continued to pour over them.

…

The women of H3 sat in the common area of their unit playing poker. Jake walked into the unit, greeting the women who all set their cards face down before walking over to stand next to their doors. Jake went through the head count and the women all went back to the common area except for Allie, who followed Jake as he walked to close the gate.

"I heard about J-block," Allie spoke.

"Yeah, ever since the riot they've been giving H-block a run for their money as home of the most fucked up women," Jake smiled.

"Shut up," Allie laughed. "Seriously is it that bad?"

"Governor's trying to break up a couple of the crews. I don't know how that's gonna work inside a prison but as long as there's no top dog, this is the most she can do to try to keep them under control. Should shake things up a bit."

"Things were just starting to settle down…" Allie sighed.

"Paradise in prison couldn't last forever, Novak. I'll let you get back to your game, even though I'm sure you're fucked. You've got a shit poker face," Jake remarked as he turned to leave.

"Hey," Allie called out. "Any chance you can work the graveyard shift tomorrow?"

"Sure… Guessing you miss sleeping next to your wife?" Jake smiled.

"Yes, but not really planning on sleeping this time."

Allie winked and smiled before walking back to rejoin the card game.

…

Bea stirred in her sleep when she heard the door to her cell open. She sat up, hoping to see Allie but saw Jake in the doorway instead.

"Smith, come with me," he whispered.

"Is everything okay?" she asked as she stood up.

"Boss wants to see you. Let's go."

Jake walked out of the cell. Confused that Allie would ask her to come to H3 instead of just coming to H1 as usual, Bea threw her shoes on and rushed out of the cell and the unit. Jake quietly shut the gate before beginning to walk with Bea right next to him.

"We're not going to H3?" Bea asked as they passed the unit.

"No."

Jake led Bea outside to the exercise yard, opening the gate to allow her to pass through. Bea stared at him for a few seconds before walking through and out into the yard. She looked around for Allie for a few seconds before looking up at the sky.

Bea looked to see Allie approaching her and standing next to her, also turning to look up at the sky.

"Are you okay?" Bea asked.

"Never better."

Bea turned back to look up at the sky.

"Can't remember the last time I looked up at the stars," Bea said.

"I'm luckier than you then."

"Yeah? D'you get to come outside often?"

Allie took hold of Bea's hands as they turned to face each other.

"I see stars whenever I look at you."

Bea softly smiled as Allie pressed their foreheads together. She let go of Bea's hand to reach into her pocket for a second before grabbing Bea's left hand, bringing it up to her lips and giving it a small kiss before placing a ring on her finger.

"…How did you…"

"Happy birthday, Bea."

Bea looked up at Allie, her eyes twinkling in the night.

"I know that back in the hospital, I promised I would wait for you, but… I don't think we need to wait anymore… We're here, and I promise we'll always be together, no matter what."

Bea couldn't help but smile as tears streamed down her cheeks. She knew Allie would be released someday, a thought that both vitalized and terrified her, but for now, she took comfort in the realization that for the moment, they were together and that no one and nothing could ever tear them apart.

…

The sun beaming down on the prison, Bea walked along the edges of the yard, running her fingers along the fence that separated the yard from the pathways leading towards the exit. As she did so, she looked over at the women she passed by. Some were in groups, some were alone. Some were talking, some were exercising, some were playing, some were reading, some were sleeping. Bea softly smiled as she reached the end of the fence but continued to walk alongside the walls of the yard, turning her eyes downwards to look at the ground, strolling along as the women slowly began to clear out.

Bea thought back to her first day in prison, how terrified she had been, how devastated she had felt, how alone she had become. The only family, the only love, the only hope she had known was her daughter, who was taken away from her because she herself had refused to become a victim of the prison and its toxicity. From then on all she could focus on was getting justice for her daughter, an innocent soul who had her life stolen from her as a twisted form of collateral damage. Obtaining that justice, exacting that revenge came with the task of seizing the leadership of the prison, a role she had never desired but had to step into when a new source of terror was set on getting her own revenge against her, tormenting her to the brink of madness.

That source of terror proved to be stronger than anyone else Bea had faced in her past, gaining even greater force and strength as Bea struggled to find a reason to keep going, making a habit out of harming herself in an attempt to quiet and quell her inner demons. Then at her lowest, after hurting one of her closest allies, after being shunned and attacked by the women she had tried to take care of, after bringing the blade down on herself so many times, after nearly being erased from existence, a ray of light finally shined down on her dark life, a ray of light that ignited a fire inside of her, a ray of light that gave her a family, gave her love, and gave her hope again.

As Bea walked along the walls, thinking of how fortunate she was to have been given another chance at happiness, she was bumped into. Bea stopped walking and turned to see who had done it, only to see golden locks of hair continuing forward as if nothing had happened. Bea smiled and ran after Allie, jumping on her from behind as Allie laughed and hooked her arms around Bea's legs to hold her up, as Bea wrapped her arms around Allie. Allie ran around with Bea on her back for a few seconds before spinning, stopping, and slowly falling to the ground, lowering Bea before she lied down next to her on Bea's outstretched left arm. Both women gazed up at the clouds in the blue sky.

"That cloud looks like a prawn," Allie said, pointing towards the sky.

"Where?"

"That one right there. Can't you see it? Looks like a prawn."

"No it doesn't," Bea laughed. "It looks like a seahorse."

"Oh shit, yeah it does! Hey, did you know that seahorses like to swim in pairs?"

"Do they?" Bea asked, turning her head towards Allie.

"Yeah, they do!" Allie reached her left hand out to Bea, curling her pinky finger. "They link tails so they don't lose each other."

Bea smiled, as she reached her right hand out, curling her own pinky and linking it with Allie's. They both laughed before Allie completely intertwined their fingers, pushing Bea back as she rolled over to lie on top of her, smiling as she gazed into Bea's eyes and stroked her face with her right hand, not letting go of Bea's hand for a second.

Bea tapped Allie's shoulder and pointed upwards. Allie turned her head to look up at the sky, giving Bea the opportunity to catch her off guard and roll her over on the grass so now she lay on top. Bea nuzzled Allie's neck, both women laughing as Bea softly bit her. Allie placed her hands on Bea's face and pulled her up to look at her. Bea ran her right hand up Allie's left arm, grabbing her hand and turning to look at her ring. Bea intertwined their fingers before bringing Allie's hand to her lips and kissing her ring finger.

As Bea brought her face down to Allie's, Allie wrapped her arms around Bea and rolled them over once more. Allie took both of Bea's hands in her own and interlocked them, gently pushing them down against the grass as Allie brought her lips to Bea's. They became lost in their kiss, in their love, in each other, forgetting everyone and everything around them, focusing only on taking in, giving back, and breathing into one another.

"Smith! Novak! Finish that in H1!" Jake called out.

Allie and Bea stopped kissing as they both turned to the side to look at Jake. Allie laughed and flipped him off as he turned to walk away. They turned to look back at each other.

"Finish what?" Bea asked, beaming with joy.

"I don't know… This is only the beginning," Allie replied as she stroked Bea's cheek.

They both smiled as they gazed into each other's eyes for a few seconds before Allie leaned down to kiss Bea. Allie then stood up and pulled Bea to stand, holding her hand as they walked together through the gate to H1, happy to finish what they started in the yard, hypnotized by the warmth emanating from their interlocked hands, and hopeful to begin their lives anew within the prison.


End file.
